Priority Group 1 – Critical Projects
This group includes those projects that are deemed to be of utmost importance. For this reason, projects in this group need to be accomplished as soon as feasible and preferably within a year, subject to the availability of funds. The following are the types of projects that are included in priority Group 1.
- Projects involving health and safety (water supply that may become contaminated, poor traffic patterns that endanger pupil safety, potential structural failures, installation of emergency systems, etc.)
- Projects mandated by law (Americans with Disabilities Act, EPA regulations, state/local health department regulations, code revisions, etc.)
- Projects necessary to avoid a building or facility being temporarily closed (leaking boiler, cracked combustion chamber in a furnace, etc.)
- Projects that are necessary to prevent other damage to a building or site (extensive roof leaks that can cause interior damage, severe erosion along foundations and footings, etc.)
- Projects which retard deterioration or which will cause an inordinate increase in scope or cost if delayed beyond one year (roof deterioration that will impact other building components such as deck, insulation, electrical, flooring, wall finishes, if not corrected, extensive deterioration in pavement that could adversely affect subgrade conditions or that creates a safety hazard if not repaired, etc.)
- Projects which provide permanent additional capacity housing for students (when current enrollment at a school is greater than 125% of permanent program capacity, permanent facilities or other alternatives for housing students should be provided unless projections indicate a declining enrollment trend)
Priority Group 2 – Necessary Projects
This group includes those projects that are essential to support the facilities’ mission and purpose. Although they are important in nature, they are not as critical and urgent as those projects in Group 1. Group 2 projects should be accomplished within the next five years, subject to availability of funds. Examples include:
- Necessary preventative repairs and improvements to maintain the integrity of and keep in operation a building or facility (replacement of equipment and systems that have served their useful life, including boilers, electrical panels, roofs, floor replacement, pavement overlay, etc.)
- Projects which provide permanent housing for students (new schools and additions required to permanently house current or projected enrollment not exceeding 125% of permanent program capacity, etc.)
- Projects which support existing instructional/auxiliary service programs (additions, renovation of open space classrooms, acoustical treatment in instructional areas, renovation of older schools to meet current program standards, renovation to provide functional facilities, etc.)
- Projects which support the expansion of or changes in instructional/auxiliary service programs (computer classrooms, modular technical education laboratories and similar improvements)
- Projects which provide operational efficiencies and economies (energy conservation projects, pavement sealing/overlays, ditch water irrigation systems, HVAC control automation and automated irrigation systems, and projects that provide a substantial cost avoidance or return on investment)
A large number of capital improvement needs are usually identified as Group 2 priorities. Therefore this priority group is divided into six sub-groups as follows:
Priority Group 2A
Necessary repairs and improvements to maintain the safety and integrity of the building and avoid imminent failure of a building system that would cause the facility to be shut down and/or result in a substantial loss (roof replacement, boiler replacement, heating pipe and domestic water pipe replacement, etc.)
Priority Group 2B
Projects required to house students in permanent facilities on a regular single track schedule (new schools or additions to existing schools where the projected five year future enrollment, based on the most current enrollment projection report, exceeds the permanent program capacity by 20% or more)
Priority Group 2C
Projects which support existing instructional/auxiliary service programs and will provide a substantial return on investment, including acoustical improvements, renovation of classroom facilities and renovation/upgrade of facilities 35 years old and older that have had no major remodeling during the last ten years, including mechanical, electrical, core facility and flooring improvements as required
Priority Group 2D
Projects which support existing instructional/auxiliary service programs, renovation/upgrade of facilities 30 years old and older that have had no major remodeling during the last 10 years and site improvement projects required to provide safe and functional site facilities, including mechanical, electrical, core facility and flooring improvements as required
Priority Group 2E
Projects which support existing instructional/auxiliary service programs, renovation/upgrade of facilities 25 years old and older that have had no major improvements during the last 10 years, including mechanical, electrical, core facility and flooring improvements as required
Priority Group 2F
Necessary maintenance or repairs to maintain the site facilities (pavement, drainage and other projects which provide operational efficiencies and economies) and projects that support the expansion of instructional/auxiliary service programs (computer labs, modular technical education laboratories, etc.)
Priority Group 3 – Deferrable Necessary Projects
Projects in this group are identical to those in Group 2 except they may be deferred beyond five years.
Priority Group 4 – Desirable Projects
Desirable projects are those that improve the environmental qualities of a building or site above adopted district standards (installation of plantings and shrubs, carpet replacement for esthetic reasons, etc.)
Approved: July 2002
Revised: September 2020
Lake County School District R-1, Leadville, Colorado