PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

BUREAU OF BUDGET AND FISCAL MANAGEMENT

DIVISION OF SCHOOL FACILITIES

Carle Dixon, Chief
717-787-5480 (Voice)
717-705-6805 (FAX)
Staff
Jason Drayer
Timothy Hare
Cheryl Harmon
Sandra Peck
Esther Phillips
Celeste Slothower
Joanne Van Tassel
Shirley Varner
James Vogel

GENERAL INFORMATION, JULY 1, 2007 INSTRUCTIONS EXPIRE 06-30-09 PAGE 1

 GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
INTRODUCTION

When a school district undertakes a major construction project and seeks

reimbursement from the Commonwealth, a process known as PlanCon is initiated.
PlanCon, an acronym for Planning and Construction Workbook, is a set of forms
and procedures used to apply for Commonwealth reimbursement. The PlanCon
forms are designed to: (1) document a local school district's planning
process; (2) provide justification for a project to the public; (3) ascertain
compliance with state laws and regulations; and (4) establish the level of
state participation in the cost of the project.
DESCRIPTION OF PLANCON
Part A, Project Justification, provides the description of a proposed
project and the justification of its need.
Part B, Schematic Design, is a technical review conference of theconceptual draw
ings, site plan and educational specifications. The
architect and a district administrator who is knowledgeable about theproject and
the educational program must be present at the schematicdesign conference.
Part C, Site Acquisition, deals with the acquisition of land for schoolbuilding
projects or the purchase of a building for school or districtadministration offi
ce use. This part is completed only if land isacquired or a building is purchase
d as part of the scope of the project.
Part D, Project Accounting Based on Estimates, is concerned withestimated projec
t costs. In this part, various "tests" of a district'sfinancial ability to make
payments are performed, as required by Section
21.51 of the State Board of Education Regulations. This part alsoaddresses the r
equirements for public hearings on school buildingprojects, as required by Secti
ons 7-701.1 and 7-731 of the Public SchoolCode of 1949, as amended. PlanCon Part
D also provides an estimate ofstate reimbursement.
Part E, Design Development, is a conference to review the architecturalaspects o
f a project when the design is fully developed. The architect
and a district administrator must be present at this review conference.
Part F, Construction Documents, is a conference to review the bidspecifications
and drawings for the project and documentation that otherstate and local agency
requirements have been met or will be met beforeentering into construction contr
acts. Departmental approval of PlanConPart F authorizes a district to receive bi
ds and enter into construction
contracts. The architect and a district administrator must be presentat this rev
iew conference.
Part G, Project Accounting Based on Bids, is concerned with actualconstruction b
ids. A project s eligibility for reimbursement isultimately determined at PlanCon
Part G.
Part H, Project Financing, addresses the financing used for a project.
Calculation of the temporary reimbursable percent for a project'sfinancing occur
s at PlanCon Part H. Once PlanCon Part H is approved,
reimbursement on a project commences.
Part I, Interim Reporting, provides for the reporting of change orders
and/or supplemental contracts during construction.
Part J, Project Accounting Based on Final Costs, is the final accountingfor the
project. The permanent reimbursable percent is calculated atPlanCon Part J.
Part K, Project Refinancing, is used if a reimbursable bond issue is
refunded, refinanced or restructured.
GENERAL INFORMATION, JULY 1, 2007 INSTRUCTIONS EXPIRE 06-30-09 PAGE 2
PRELIMINARY MEETINGS, TIME FRAME AND BOARD ACTION DATES
The Division of School Facilities staff is available to meet with school
administrators, board members and representatives from architectural firmsprior
to the submission of PlanCon Part A to discuss any questions or concernsor to di
scuss the PlanCon process in general. To schedule a preliminarymeeting, the foll
owing information must be provided: (1) the general topic tobe discussed at the
meeting; and (2) the names of the individuals who willattend. If possible, any p
ertinent information for the meeting should besubmitted to the Division of Schoo
l Facilities one week prior to the scheduleddate of the meeting so that the mate
rial can be reviewed prior to the meeting.
The time frame for a project to proceed from PlanCon Part A to PlanConPart G is
normally 9-12 months. All PlanCon parts must be approved by thelocal school boar
d and submitted in sequential order for all second, third andfourth class distri
cts unless indicated otherwise below:
PLANCON
PART BOARD ACTION DATE
A Must be approved prior to all other parts except PlanCon Part C.
B Submitted with PlanCon Part A; no separate board actionrequired.
C May be approved at any time prior to PlanCon Part F. Written
Departmental approval must be obtained prior to the date ofsettlement or the fil
ing date of the Declaration of Taking.
D Must be approved after PlanCon Part A. May have same boardaction date as PlanC
on Part E. If Act 34 of 1973 applies, theboard action date must be no less than
30 days after the date ofthe Act 34 hearing.
E Must be approved simultaneously with or after PlanCon Part D,
but before PlanCon Part F-Phase or Part F.
F-Phase Must be approved after PlanCon Part E, but before PlanCon Part Ffor the
entire project.
F Must be approved after PlanCon Part E and prior to PlanCon PartF architectural
review.
G-Phase Must be approved after PlanCon Part F-Phase.
G Must be approved after PlanCon Part F. May have same boardaction date as PlanC
on Part H if the project financing is inplace.
H May be approved simultaneously with or after PlanCon Part G.
I Must be approved after PlanCon Part G.
J Must be approved after PlanCon Parts G and H. The board action
date should be after the completion of the construction project.
K Must be approved after the settlement date of the bond issue ornote.
Refer to the instructions provided below for board approval information for abui
lding purchase.
GENERAL INFORMATION, JULY 1, 2007 INSTRUCTIONS EXPIRE 06-30-09 PAGE 3
LAWS, REGULATIONS, STANDARDS AND BASIC EDUCATION CIRCULARS
The following is a list of laws, regulations, standards and Basic
Education Circulars (BEC) which pertain to the PlanCon process:

1.
Articles 7 and 25 of the Pennsylvania Public School Code of 1949;
2.
Chapter 21, School Buildings, of the State Board of Education
Regulations;
3.
Chapter 349, School Building Standards, of the Department of EducationStandards;
4.
BEC 24 P.S. § 25-2574, "Reimbursements for School Construction Bond
Issues," provides information on state reimbursement for bond issues
funding school construction projects; and
5.
BEC 24 P.S. § 7-733, "School Construction Reimbursement Criteria,"
contains the following requirements for reimbursable school constructionprojects
:
a. CURRENT STANDARDS - A condition of reimbursement is to bring theentire buildi
ng up to prevailing educational and reasonably currentconstruction standards;
b. DISTRICT-WIDE FACILITY STUDY - A district-wide facility studyfor all district
facilities must have been completed prior to thesubmission of PlanCon Part A an
d within two years of that date.
Refer to Attachment C in the PlanCon Part A instructions for
additional information on district-wide facility study requirements;
c. WOOD CONSTRUCTION - For any project involving the renovation ofa multi-storie
d building which has wood framing (i.e., interiorframing is partially or wholly
of wood), a district must describethe plans and methods designed to address the
health and safetyissues related to this type of construction;
d. EARLY CHILDHOOD - For elementary school projects, schooldistricts should cons
ider providing enough space for prekindergarten,
full-day kindergarten and preK-3 classes with no morethan 17 students per teache
r.
e. HIGH PERFORMANCE GREEN BUILDINGS - School districts should
consider designing their projects to meet the U.S. Green BuildingCouncil s Leaders
hip in Energy and Environmental Design GreenBuilding Rating System (LEED-NC ) stan
dards or the Green BuildingInitiative s Green Globes Building Rating System.
f. 20 YEAR RULE - Buildings may only qualify for schoolconstruction reimbursemen
t every twenty years at a minimum unless a
variance is requested and approved. To determine the applicabilityof the "20-yea
r" rule on a project building, calculate the number ofyears from the bid opening
date of the previous reimbursable projectto the bid opening date of the planned
project; and
g. 20% RULE FOR ALTERATION COSTS - An alteration project may not beeligible for
reimbursement where the costs for alterations are lessthan 20% of the project bu
ilding's replacement value unless a
variance is requested and approved. This rule does not apply tocareer and techni
cal centers (CTCs) or to leased buildings.
A request for a variance from the departmental policies in BEC 24 P.S.
§ 7-733, except for the "20% Rule for Alteration Costs", must be submitted inthe f
orm of a resolution of the board of school directors. A request for avariance fr
om the "20% Rule for Alteration Costs" may be submitted on the
GENERAL INFORMATION, JULY 1, 2007 INSTRUCTIONS EXPIRE 06-30-09 PAGE 4
applicable PlanCon forms in PlanCon Parts A, D and G. Any request for
variance must document the reasons why the variance should be granted.
BEC 24 P.S. 7-733 enables districts to request variances of the 20-yearrule so t
hat renovations on a project building reimbursed in the past twentyyears may now
be eligible for state reimbursement. Variance requests may bejustified based on
educational, operational, building envelope (structural,
foundation, roof and window systems), and health and safety issues, ifapplicable
. Unanticipated changes in building conditions or other factors mayalso help to
justify a request. Each request is reviewed on a case-by-casebasis. Districts sh
ould contact this office for further direction when
considering substantial renovations to any school buildings reimbursed withinthe
past twenty years.
ACT 34 OF 1973
Act 34 of 1973 requires that a public hearing be held on all newconstruction and
substantial additions for second, third and fourth classschool districts. A bui
lding addition is considered substantial when the newarchitectural area divided
by the existing structure's architectural area isgreater than 20 percent. Act 34
applies only to costs for new construction.
The legal requirements do not address the costs for alterations to existingstruc
tures.
24 P.S. § 7-701.1 requires that the board of school directors hold asecond Act 34
hearing on a project whenever the maximum building constructioncost based on bid
s exceeds the maximum building construction cost based onestimates by eight perc
ent or more. Moreover, a referendum must be held on aproject if the maximum buil
ding construction cost based on bids exceeds theaggregate building expenditure s
tandard. The second Act 34 of 1973 hearing orthe Act 34 referendum must be held
before a district enters into construction
contracts and commences work on any portion of a project, the cost of whichwould
cause the statutory limit to be exceeded. Since the calculations to
determine the need for a second Act 34 hearing or referendum, as well as otherel
igibility criteria, are included in PlanCon Part G, districts are cautionedabout
entering into contracts and starting construction before obtainingDepartmental
approval of PlanCon Part G. Failure to comply with the legal,
regulatory and Departmental requirements applicable to a school constructionproj
ect will result in the denial of reimbursement.
Under Act 34 s provisions, an Act 34 project is subject to the secondhearing and r
eferendum requirements until all construction is completed. In
fact, an Act 34 referendum or second hearing may be required even duringconstruc
tion if a project's accumulated costs, including any planned equipmentpurchases
or future construction work, exceed a project's statutory limit.
When the Act 34 referendum limit or second Act 34 hearing limit for a projectis
exceeded, the only options available are: (1) to hold a referendum orhearing bef
ore proceeding with any work or equipment purchases causing thestatutory limit t
o be exceeded; or (2) to reduce the scope of any proposedwork or equipment purch
ases.
APPROVAL OF CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS AND REIMBURSEMENT DETERMINATION
Section 731 of the Public School Code of 1949 states that no publicschool buildi
ng shall be contracted for, constructed, or reconstructed in anyschool district
of the second, third, or fourth class until plans andspecifications have been ap
proved by the Department of Education.
Departmental approval of final plans and specifications only occurs upon theissu
ance of written approval of PlanCon Part F, Construction Documents. For
the Philadelphia City School District (First Class) and Pittsburgh SchoolDistric
t (First Class A), PlanCon Part F must also be approved by theDepartment prior t
o entering into contracts for a school construction projectto qualify for state
reimbursement. Failure to comply with the applicablestatutory or Departmental re
quirement will result in denial of reimbursementfor a project.
GENERAL INFORMATION, JULY 1, 2007 INSTRUCTIONS EXPIRE 06-30-09 PAGE 5
Departmental approval of PlanCon Part F for a project does not guaranteereimburs
ement for that project. A project is deemed eligible forreimbursement only upon
written Departmental approval of PlanCon Part G,
Project Accounting Based on Bids.
CALCULATION OF REIMBURSEMENT FOR SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
In general, reimbursement for school construction projects is based onthe capaci
ty of a building which can be justified by present or projectedstudent enrollmen
t. Classroom capacity is normally calculated on the basis of25 students per regu
lar classroom. (Other values are assigned tolaboratories, gymnasiums, art rooms,
music rooms, etc.) For example, if adistrict has a 20 classroom elementary buil
ding, we would normally considerthe building to have a full-time equivalent capa
city of 500 (20 x 25).
The capacity in this example would have to be supported by current orprojected e
nrollment. This capacity is then converted to rated pupilcapacity. The term "rat
ed pupil capacity" has no significance other than itis a method for calculating
reimbursement. An elementary building with afull-time equivalent capacity of 500
is deemed to have a "rated pupilcapacity" of 700. (Refer to PlanCon Part A inst
ructions for conversioncharts.)
For a new building, reimbursement is calculated on the lesser of (1) theproduct
of the rated pupil capacity multiplied by a legislated per pupildollar amount (2
4 P.S. Section 25-2574), or (2) structure costs plusarchitect's fee (six percent
maximum) and essential movable fixtures andequipment. To the lesser of (1) or (
2) above, additional funding for certaintypes of projects and specified eligible
ancillary costs is added. Additional
information about legislative changes affecting school constructionreimbursement
follows this section.
For a building addition or additions/alterations, reimbursement isdetermined sim
ilar to that for a new building. The rated pupil capacity forthe total building
is multiplied by the legislated per pupil dollar amount toarrive at a total reim
bursable amount. The gross area of the addition isdivided by the gross area of t
he completed facility to arrive at the prorationof the addition to the total bui
lding. The same method is used to determine
the proration of the existing building to the completed building. These
values are then compared to the actual bid costs of the addition andrenovation w
ork. To the lesser of the maximum reimbursable formula amount or
actual bid costs, additional funding for certain types of projects andspecified
eligible ancillary costs is added. Additional information about
legislative changes affecting school construction reimbursement follows thissect
ion.
For alterations to existing structures, reimbursement for roofreplacement and as
bestos abatement (if applicable) are each limited to twentypercent (20%) of the
remaining assignable alteration costs. Reimbursement for
site development is limited to ten percent (10%) of adjusted structure costsfor
new construction; site development for existing structures is nonreimbursable.
For all non-vocational projects, reimbursement for movablefixtures and equipment
is limited to five percent (5%) of adjusted structurecosts; for all vocational
projects, reimbursement for movable fixtures andequipment is limited to twenty p
ercent (20%) of adjusted structure costs.
Both estimated and actual costs for movable fixtures and equipment, andarchitect
's fee thereon, are not considered for reimbursement until PlanConPart J, Projec
t Accounting Based on Final Costs, is processed by the Divisionof School Facilit
ies.
For new construction as well as alterations to existing buildings, thereimbursab
le project amount is then divided by the total project costs todetermine a reimb
ursable percent. A five tenths of one percent (0.5%)
reduction in the reimbursable percent is made until final project accounting.
GENERAL INFORMATION, JULY 1, 2007 INSTRUCTIONS EXPIRE 06-30-09 PAGE 6
For projects financed by the issuance of debt, the reimbursable percentis multip
lied by the school district's bond issue (principal and interestpayments) to det
ermine the level of Commonwealth participation in the cost ofthe project. The Co
mmonwealth's share is then multiplied by a measure of adistrict's wealth, i.e.,
the greater of Market Value Aid Ratio (MVAR), CapitalAccount Reimbursement Fract
ion (CARF) or Density Factor, to determine the netstate subsidy. An application
for state subsidy must be submitted for eachscheduled payment on the approved pa
yment schedule after the district hasactually made each payment.
For projects financed by cash, i.e. without the issuance of debt, thereimbursabl
e percentage is multiplied by the total project costs for theschool construction
project to determine the level of Commonwealthparticipation in the cost of the
project. The Commonwealth's share is then
multiplied by a measure of a district's wealth, i.e., the greater of MarketValue
Aid Ratio (MVAR), Capital Account Reimbursement Fraction (CARF) orDensity Facto
r, to determine the net state subsidy.
If a project is financed by cash, i.e., without the issuance of debt, noreimburs
ement will be paid until PlanCon Part J, Project Accounting Based onFinal Costs,
is submitted and approved by the Department unless otherwiseapproved by this of
fice. At PlanCon Part J, a certification must be providedindicating that, in acc
ordance with Section 2575.1 of the Public School Codeof 1949, the school distric
t/CTC is providing full payment on account of theapproved building construction
cost without incurring debt or withoutincurring a lease. For purposes of calcula
ting reimbursement, bond proceedsthat are transferred to the general fund and th
en used for a reimbursableconstruction project are still considered bond proceed
s.
The above explanation is intended to be a general introduction to thereimburseme
nt calculations used for school construction projects.
LEGISLATIVE CHANGES AFFECTING
SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION REIMBURSEMENT

Act 46 of 2005 increased the reimbursement rates for eligible projects,

revised the vocational reimbursement formula and provided additional fundingfor
certain projects. The changes apply to projects for which the generalconstructio
n contract is awarded subsequent to January 1, 2005, and forapproved school buil
ding projects for which the general construction contractwas awarded but for whi
ch a lease or general obligation bond resolution wasnot approved by the Departme
nt of Education prior to January 1, 2005.
Department approval of a project's financing occurs at PlanCon Part H, ProjectFi
nancing.
For eligible projects, the applicable per pupil reimbursement amountsare $4,700
for elementary capacity, $6,200 for secondary capacity, and $7,600for vocational
capacity. The base reimbursement formula for eligiblevocational projects now do
es not include bond interest in determining theapproved building construction co
st.
In addition, additional funding is provided for: (1) projectsconstructed and bas
ed on an approved school facility design published on theDepartment s School Desig
n Clearinghouse (www.sdcpublic.ed.state.pa.us); (2)
projects where the general construction contract alters or adds to an existingbu
ilding; and (3) school buildings receiving a silver, gold or platinumcertificati
on from the United States Green Building Council s Leadership inEnergy and Environ
mental Design Green Building Rating System (LEED-NC ) ortwo, three or four Green G
lobes certification from the Green BuildingInitiative s Green Building Rating Syste
m on or after January 1, 2005.
Information on the School Design Clearinghouse and LEED and Green Globescertific
ation follow this section.
GENERAL INFORMATION, JULY 1, 2007 INSTRUCTIONS EXPIRE 06-30-09 PAGE 7
To receive the additional funding for a project constructed and based onan appro
ved facility design on the clearinghouse, the architect will need tocertify at P
lanCon Part J, Project Accounting Based on Final Costs, that theproject actually
was constructed and based on a clearinghouse design. To
ensure design conformance with an approved school design published on theclearin
ghouse, the Department may inspect a project building before anyadditional fundi
ng for a project is included in the calculation of thepermanent reimbursable per
cent(s). If a project fails to conform to anapproved clearinghouse design, reimb
ursement will be calculated without theadditional funding.
To receive the additional funding for a school building receiving asilver, gold
or platinum LEED-NC or two, three or four Green Globes
certification, a copy of the certification must be provided with the PlanConPart
J submission. Failure to obtain this certification within one year ofbuilding a
cceptance will result in the calculation of reimbursement withoutthis additional
funding.
As per 24 P.S. Section 25-2574 (c.5), reimbursement for an approvedschool constr
uction project can not exceed total project costs. For School
Design Clearinghouse and LEED/Green Globes projects, the sum of $470multiplied b
y the elementary rated pupil capacity and $620 multiplied by thesecondary and vo
cational rated pupil capacities is added to the approvedbuilding construction co
st. To calculate the additional funding for additionsand/or alterations to an ex
isting building, the appraisal value of theexisting building is subtracted from
the sum of $470 times the elementaryrated pupil capacity and $620 for the second
ary and vocational rated pupilcapacities (minimum value equals zero). For reimbu
rsement purposes only, theappraisal value of an existing building is calculated
as follows:
1) Multiply the rated pupil capacity for the entire building by
the applicable per pupil reimbursement rates to determine the
reimbursable formula amount for the total building;
2) Divide the architectural area of the additions by the
architectural area of the total building, and then multiply
this fraction by the reimbursable formula amount for the total
building calculated in Step 1 to determine the formula amount
for the additions; and
3) Subtract the reimbursable formula amount for the additions and
the adjusted alteration costs from the reimbursable formula
amount for the entire building. The result equals the
appraisal value of the existing building; minimum equals zero.
Refer to the PlanCon Part D forms for the line-by-line calculations.
By law, three appraisers must be appointed for projects involvingadditions and/o
r alterations to an existing building. For reimbursement
purposes only, this office will assume, unless advised otherwise, that thedistri
ct/CTC representative is the appraiser for the district/CTC, theappraiser for th
e Department is the chief of the Division of SchoolFacilities, and the appraiser
appointed jointly by the Department and thedistrict/CTC is the project architec
t.
By law, reimbursable rental or sinking fund charges on indebtedness islimited to
costs for building construction, site acquisition, rough gradingand sanitary se
wage disposal, and the interest on such costs. Since fees
charged for bond underwriting, financial and legal consultation, and otherrelate
d financing costs are not included in the aforementioned costs nor arethey inter
est, these costs are not eligible for reimbursement. Accordingly,
underwriter s fee, original issue discount and original issue premium will notbe i
ncluded in the calculation of the reimbursable percent on any bond issuesor leas
es financing a project affected by school construction reimbursementchanges. Als
o, original issue discount and original issue premium must bereported under reve
nue sources.
GENERAL INFORMATION, JULY 1, 2007 INSTRUCTIONS EXPIRE 06-30-09 PAGE 8
SCHOOL DESIGN CLEARINGHOUSE
To assist school districts in meeting their facility needs, theDepartment has cr
eated the School Design Clearinghouse (SDC), which may beaccessed via the Depart
ment s website (www.sdcpublic.ed.state.pa.us), toshowcase new elementary and secon
dary school building designs that meetminimum design standards established by th
e Department. The information
posted on the SDC website provides school districts and design professionalswith
information that may lead to cost and time savings on future projects byincreas
ing access to design and cost information on recently completed PlanConprojects.

Districts are encouraged to submit information on new school buildingsapproved f

or state funding thru the PlanCon process. In order for a school
building design to be published on the SDC website, the building must be fullyoc
cupied, preferably for at least one school year following the end ofconstruction
. PlanCon projects still in design and/or under construction arenot eligible for
consideration.
To be published on the School Design Clearinghouse, a project must meetdesign st
andards, established by the Department, which focus on cost-
effectiveness, academics, and health and safety. As stated previously,
projects constructed and based on an approved school facility design publishedon
the SDC website will be eligible for additional state funding.
HIGH PERFORMANCE GREEN SCHOOLS
High performance buildings provide a healthier environment for theiroccupants an
d enhance their performance while significantly reducing annualoperating costs.
Moreover, the cost of building a high performance school isnot inherently higher
than that of a conventional school. However, theintegrated design process for d
elivering a high performance building differssignificantly from the conventional
linear design process. Using anintegrated design process requires collaborative
participation from the outsetby all the stakeholders including the building own
er and the designprofessionals from each discipline to develop the building as a
singleintegrated system.
Until design professionals become more experienced in delivering highperformance
schools, the cost is likely to be slightly higher than for aconventional school
. To help accommodate this reality and to accelerate thelearning process for del
ivering high performance green buildings, schools thatachieve LEED ratings at th
e silver level or above OR two, three or four GreenGlobes certification are elig
ible for additional reimbursement as an incentiveto building facilities which pr
ovide an enhanced learning environment whileminimizing operating costs borne by
taxpayers. Information on LEED and Green
Globes certification follows this section.
In selecting the LEED and Green Globes points to be pursued, it isstrongly recom
mended that the design team aim for points which have multipleimpacts and which
maximize return on investment. Areas of best value include
reducing energy and water usage, daylighting, and improving indoor airquality. I
mplementing proper daylighting strategies, for instance, willimprove student per
formance while reducing energy usage and cost.
Information and resources on high performance schools can be found atwww.gggc.st
ate.pa.us on the Governor s Green Government Council s website byclicking on both Sch
ools and Buildings. The site includes links to the
United States Green Building Council s LEED web page and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency s Energy Star for K-12 School Districtsprogram, as
 well as an award-winning online video on high performance greenschools, called B
etter Places to Learn.
GENERAL INFORMATION, JULY 1, 2007 INSTRUCTIONS EXPIRE 06-30-09 PAGE 9
LEED CERTIFICATION
The United States Green Building Council s LEED (Leadership in Energyand Environme
ntal Design) rating system is a voluntary consensus-basednational standard for d
eveloping high-performance, sustainable buildings.
Buildings rated under the LEED system achieve certification at one of fourlevels
certified, silver, gold or platinum depending on the number ofpoints gained for
performance in six categories: sustainable sites, waterefficiency, energy and a
tmosphere, materials and resource, indoorenvironmental efficiency, and innovatio
n and design process. For eligibleprojects to receive the additional funding, a
copy of the LEED certificationmust be provided at PlanCon Part J, Project Accoun
ting Based on Final Costs.
Information and resources on the LEED rating system can be found atwww.usgbc.org
on the United States Green Building Council website.
GREEN GLOBES CERTIFICATION
The Green Building Initiative s Green Globes rating system is aninteractive design
guidance, environmental assessment and rating tooladdressing sustainability iss
ues on buildings during design and construction.
The Green Globes system provides a building rating of one, two, three or fourglo
bes based on the percentage of total points achieved in seven areas of thebuildi
ng and design process project management, site, energy, water,
resources, emissions, effluents and other impacts, and indoor environment. To
achieve a Green Globes rating, the building project must be third partyverified
by a Green Building Initiative authorized verifier. For eligibleprojects to rece
ive the additional funding, a copy of the officialcertification documentation fr
om the awarding body, based on third partyverification of points claimed, must b
e provided at PlanCon Part J, ProjectAccounting Based on Final Costs. Informatio
n and resources on the Green
Globes rating system can be found at www.thegbi.org on the Green BuildingInitiat
ive website.
BUILDING PURCHASE
In order to receive reimbursement, the following must be submitted:
-For the purchase and additions/alterations of a building, a district
must complete PlanCon Parts A through H.
-For a building purchase with no additions or alterations, all parts
except Parts B, E and F need to be submitted. With the PlanCon Part A
submission, the District must submit educational specifications and a
separate floor plan drawing identifying spaces listed on the room
schedule with calculated area noted therein and perimeter of each
scheduled area clearly marked in a contrasting color. PlanCon Parts A
and D may be approved by the board at the same meeting with PlanCon
Parts G and H approved at a subsequent meeting. PlanCon Part C may be
approved by the board either before or at the same time as PlanCon Part
A. Written PDE approval of PlanCon Part C must be obtained prior to the
date of settlement or the filing of the Declaration of Taking ifreimbursement is
being sought.
Information pertaining to the capacity and areas of the purchasedbuilding should
be treated as if the building to be purchased were alreadyowned by the district
. For example, costs for the purchased building and anyplanned alterations to th
e existing structure should be provided under theheading of "Existing" in PlanCo
n documents; the purchase price of the buildingshould be listed separately under
"Existing" for Structure Costs. Costs for
planned additions should be reported under the heading of "New". Costs
associated with site acquisition must be designated separately.
GENERAL INFORMATION, JULY 1, 2007 INSTRUCTIONS EXPIRE 06-30-09 PAGE 10
The Department will consider separate reimbursement for site acquisition(in addi
tion to the purchase of a building for school use) under certaincircumstances. I
t will be incumbent for the district to produce adequatedocumentation (such as s
eparate appraisals for land and buildings) if separatereimbursement for site cos
ts is sought. In many cases, the amount ofreimbursement generated by the maximum
reimbursable formula amount will makeit unnecessary to consider site costs sepa
rately.
As per Basic Education Circular 24 P.S. 7-733, a district-wide facilitystudy mus
t be completed prior to, and within two years of the date of thePlanCon Part A s
ubmission.
BUILDING LEASES ELIGIBLE FOR STATE REIMBURSEMENT
Under Section 703.1 of the Public School Code of 1949, as amended, schooldistric
ts have the authority to lease for five or more years existingbuildings or build
ings constructed or renovated for school use. By law,
Department approval of the lease agreement is required before the buildinglease
is executed. Section 2574.2 provides reimbursement for buildings leasedunder Sec
tion 703.1.
As defined in Section 2574.2, reimbursement for approved leases ofbuildings cons
tructed for school use is based on the lesser of (1) the annualrental multiplied
by the ratio of the scheduled area to architectural area or
(2) the rated pupil capacity multiplied by $160 for elementary schools, $220for
secondary schools, and $270 for area vocational technical schools.
Reimbursement for approved leases of existing buildings altered for school useis
based on the lesser of (1) the annual rental multiplied by the ratio of thesche
duled area to architectural area or (2) the rated pupil capacitymultiplied by $1
12 for elementary schools, $154 for secondary schools, and$189 for area vocation
al technical schools.
For leases authorized by Section 703.1 to qualify for statereimbursement, the fo
llowing must be submitted: (1) PlanCon Part A, ProjectJustification, except page
A21; (2) a draft lease agreement; (3) the number ofrooms to be leased; (4) a sc
heduled area floor plan drawing of the buildingshowing door swings and identifyi
ng scheduled spaces with the calculated areanoted therein and perimeter clearly
marked; (5) a Department of Labor andIndustry Certificate of Occupancy. During t
he term of the building lease,
updated information must be submitted on an annual basis if the leaseprovisions
permit the lease amount, the number of rooms or square footage tochange. Amendme
nts affecting lease costs or room use must also be submittedfor our review and a
pproval.
As per Basic Education Circular 24 P.S. 7-733, a district-wide facilitystudy mus
t be completed prior to, and within two years of the date of thePlanCon Part A s
ubmission.
RELOCATABLE CLASSROOMS
Section 2574 of the Public School Code of 1949 provides reimbursementfor "approv
ed permanent improvements to the school plant including...the costof providing n
eeded additions or alterations to existing buildings..." Some
relocatables, however, can meet this requirement and be considered the same astr
aditional permanent construction. Attachment D in the PlanCon Part A
instructions lists the conditions which must be satisfied for a relocatable
facility to be considered "permanent" and thus eligible for reimbursement.
GENERAL INFORMATION, JULY 1, 2007 INSTRUCTIONS EXPIRE 06-30-09 PAGE 11
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PHILADELPHIA CITY
AND PITTSBURGH SCHOOL DISTRICTS

In addition to the information discussed on previous pages, theDepartmental requ

irements described below will apply to all capital projectsfor the Philadelphia
City and Pittsburgh School Districts submitted to theDepartment, effective July
1, 2007. The PlanCon forms in effect July 1, 2007,
except as indicated below, must be submitted in order for school constructionpro
jects initiated by the Philadelphia City and Pittsburgh School Districts toquali
fy for state reimbursement. In addition, applicable supplementaldocuments must b
e included with each PlanCon part submitted.
PLANCON PART A: PROJECT JUSTIFICATION
All pages must be completed if applicable. However, since the Divisionof School
Facilities already has Pages A07, Elementary Building Capacity,
through A09, Summary of Owned Buildings and Land, on current projects in ourfile
s, the district may omit these pages and include a statement aboutchanges, if an
y, which have occurred since its last PlanCon project wasapproved by the Divisio
n. In addition, the Division will also consider arequest for a variance from the
Departmental requirement for a District-WideFacility Study in view of the numbe
r of school buildings in the district.
PLANCON PART B: SCHEMATIC REVIEW
A site plan, floor plan and scheduled area floor plan completed inaccordance wit
h the instructions must be submitted with PlanCon Part A. Staff
architects will be available to review other Schematic Review documents if
requested by the district.
PLANCON PART C: SITE ACQUISITION
All pages must be completed if a site or building will be acquired aspart of a r
eimbursable project. Written Departmental approval of PlanConPart C is required
prior to the date of settlement or the filing date of theDeclaration of Taking f
or a site or building.
PLANCON PART D: PROJECT ACCOUNTING BASED ON ESTIMATES
Complete pages D01, Board Transmittal, through D18, Local Effort Limit.
PLANCON PART E: DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
This part may be omitted unless the district plans to phase the biddingof a proj
ect or if a mine subsidence evaluation report is required. For
approval of phased bidding, page E01, Board Transmittal, and page E06, Requestfo
r Phased Bidding, must be submitted. For all projects by the PittsburghSchool Di
strict, page E07, the Pennsylvania Department of EnvironmentalProtection Mine Su
bsidence Evaluation Report, must be completed. Staff
architects will be available to review other Design Development documents ifrequ
ested by the district.
PLANCON PART F: CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS
Complete pages F01, Board Transmittal, through F14, Full Time EquivalentsConvert
ed to Rated Pupil Capacity, as well as pages F18, Rough Grading toReceive the Bu
ilding, through page F20, Certification in Lieu of AgencyApprovals, Permits and
Service Availability Letters. Page F15, Certificate ofOwnership, is required onl
y if the project includes the purchase, donation, ortaking of property acquired
as part of this PlanCon project even if theDistrict is not seeking reimbursement
for the site acquisition. Omit pagesF16, Project Building Characteristics, and
F17, Construction SpecificationRequirements. The scheduled area floor plan drawi
ng (as indicated on thebottom of page F01) is also needed as it is critical for
determiningreimbursement. The certification on Page F20, Certification in Lieu o
f Agency
GENERAL INFORMATION, JULY 1, 2007 INSTRUCTIONS EXPIRE 06-30-09 PAGE 12
Approvals, Permits and Service Availability Letters, only applies to approvalsne
eded before entering into contracts; if an application for an approval orpermit
requires a contractor s signature on the construction documents, thisrequirement d
oes not apply to that approval.
Following bid opening and the decision by the local school board toaward and/or
reject bids, Attachment C, with information on bids received,
alternates accepted and other pertinent information, must be submitted beforefin
al processing of PlanCon Part F can take place. PlanCon Part F approvalfor a pro
ject will not be issued until this notification is received and
bidding issues have been resolved. Refer to the Part F instructions for
additional information about this requirement.
If relevant Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code provisions apply,
the district must provide a letter or equivalent written certification fromthe m
unicipality and the county planning agency that the project is consistentwith th
e applicable comprehensive plans and zoning ordinance. If applicable,
PlanCon Part F approval for a project will not be issued until this
certification is received.
PLANCON PART G: PROJECT ACCOUNTING BASED ON BIDS
Complete pages G01, Board Transmittal, through G10, Project Financing andsubmit
bid tabulations with bid opening date thereon.
PLANCON PART H: PROJECT FINANCING
Complete all pages.
PLANCON PART I: INTERIM REPORTING
Complete pages I01, Board Transmittal, through I03, Application forChange Order
Approval, or I04, Application for Supplemental Contract Approval,
if requesting an exception to the 3%/$300,000 reimbursement limit.
PLANCON PART J: PROJECT ACCOUNTING BASED ON FINAL COSTS
Complete pages J01, Board Transmittal, through J06, Financial InformationCertifi
cation, for all projects. Final Project Costs - Detail, Pages J07through J12, sh
ould only be completed if applicable.
PLANCON PART K: PROJECT REFINANCING
Complete all pages.
BOARD ACTIONS
In recognition of the process the Philadelphia City and PittsburghSchool Distric
ts use for capital projects, PlanCon Parts A, B, D and E may beapproved by the s
chool board for submission to the Department at the sameboard meeting. PlanCon P
arts F and G must be approved at separate boardmeetings. All other applicable pa
rts of PlanCon should be approved by theboard when appropriate. The Department,
however, strongly recommends that theparts of PlanCon be submitted in sequential
order to avoid potential problems.
GENERAL INFORMATION, JULY 1, 2007 INSTRUCTIONS EXPIRE 06-30-09 PAGE 13
REIMBURSEMENT QUALIFICATIONS
To be eligible for reimbursement, a school construction projectundertaken by the
Philadelphia City or Pittsburgh School District must havePlanCon Part F, Constr
uction Documents, approved by the Department prior tothe district entering into
contracts for that project. In addition, all otherlegal and regulatory requireme
nts must be met in order for a project toqualify for reimbursement. Failure to c
omply with these Departmentalrequirements will result in denial of reimbursement
for a project. For this
reason, the district is advised to submit PlanCon Part F after bidadvertisement
but before bid opening. This will provide ample time for anyneeded revisions to
the PlanCon Part F documents to ensure their compliancewith Departmental require
ments.
The district should be aware that Departmental approval of PlanCon PartF for a p
roject does not guarantee reimbursement for a project. A project isdeemed eligib
le for reimbursement only upon written approval of PlanConPart G, Project Accoun
ting Based on Bids.
GENERAL INFORMATION, JULY 1, 2007 INSTRUCTIONS EXPIRE 06-30-09 PAGE 14