Virginia Department of Education, 2010
The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code regulates the general health, safety, and welfare of building occupants of public educational facilities in Virginia. Also, public school sites and buildings, new or renovated, as well as all educational programs, activities, or services offered at school facilities must meet the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While the building code addresses life safety design issues, it does not offer any design guidance to school planners and educators as to how to meet their educational program needs. Various requirements contained in the Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia and in the Standards of Quality, such as required program offerings, pupil-teacher ratios/maximum class sizes, and administrative staffing, guide school facilities design in the context of minimum standards. The Virginia Public School Facilities Guidelines are intended to provide more detailed guidance for the planning and design of local public school facilities.
