With almost 23 million square feet of facilities to manage, WCPSS indeed has a protocol for determining which spaces receive substantial repairs, partial reconstruction, or full reconstruction.
Part of the data considered is something known as the Facilities Condition Index. This piece of data helps staff rank which facilities have the greatest needs for repair or reconstruction. As the primary goal of a school system is to educate children, the overwhelming majority of this space consists of schools.
The Facilities Condition Index is determined by adding all school needs and dividing that by the total replacement cost of the school. That is, by what it would cost to build that school from scratch now.
What are school needs? On the list provided by WCPSS that ranks the FCI for all schools, it includes category headings like Interior Finishes. Just like residential projects, this includes doors, paint, and flooring. But for a school, it also includes ADA requirements, asbestos abatement, and safety features. Other categories include HVAC, Electrical, and Roofing.
While needs of schools may be known, it takes planning and financial resources to make repairs happen. As time passes, conditions may worsen and wear and tear on buildings continues. So, projects must be revisited for a new design review.
Five projects have been identified that meet the new design review criteria: North Ridge Elementary, Fuquay-Varina High, Wendell Elementary, West Millbrook Middle, and York Elementary. As planning for the next capital improvement plan continues, these schools will have a new design review completed to determine the full scope of work required.
