Delaware’s Department of Education is establishing a standardized system to assess and evaluate the safety of public school buildings.
The Department of Education worked with the Div. of Public Health, school districts, the State Education Association, and the State Association of School Administrators to develop a recently released assessment tool.
Jamie Mack is education associate for capital projects at DOE
"The purpose of the assessment tool is to allow schools to conduct assessments of their facility,” said Mack. “So it is to get a picture of the overall condition of the facility, and it provides a lead in to the next requirement for them which is a repair and maintenance plan that they have to put together as well. So the assessment will help them identify conditions in need of repair to allow them to develop that report."
The facility assessment tool helps districts review and assess conditions in a standardized way to assure school buildings are clean, safe, and functional for staff and students.
Districts are required to provide safety assessments to the state each May along with a board approved repair and maintenance plan.
The Division of Public Health will also establish a routine indoor air quality monitoring program and temperature and humidity standards for schools.
"So the assessments are required to be provided to DOE, OMB, the CG's office, and some legislative representatives each year in May, and that reporting requirement also includes a board approved maintenance or repair plan," said Mack.
Starting this year, every school district must provide a facility inspection finding by May 1 along with its maintenance and repair plan.
By May 1, 2025, every board of education must also be in full compliance with their routine indoor air quality monitoring program.
This was all ordered by Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 270.
