Visit the E-SPLOST page for information on the October Public Meetings and the E-SPLOST Project List

Building Spaces. Inspire. Achieve. Excel.DeKalb County School District has launched the “Building S.P.A.C.E.S.” Initiative to determine how, where, and why future resources should be dedicated to the improvement and modernization of our buildings and infrastructure to support the District’s vision “to inspire our community of learners to achieve educational excellence.” This initiative helps support equity across all levels of the organization, in every school, and for every member of our district and community. Whether a space is for Student Growth, Parent Engagement, Administrator Leadership, Community Awareness, Educator Support or Service Delivery, S.P.A.C.E.S. needs to be a place where everyone is welcome and the success of all is paramount.

In the coming weeks and months, each of you will have a chance to participate in this exciting initiative. Your insight is important and, together, we will develop a clear path to the future.

The Building S.P.A.C.E.S. Initiative is made up of three main components:

1. Master Planning

2. Stakeholder Engagement

  • Site visits for FCA and FEAA
  • Community meetings
  • Online survey

3. E-SPLOST V

  • Joint resolution with Atlanta Public Schools and City Schools of Decatur
  • Vote: May 2016 referendum
  • Develop detailed E-SPLOST V project list

Updates

Building Spaces. Inspire. Achieve. Excel.

5/25/2016
Revised Capacity Determination Guide and reports posted

4/29/2016
Facility Condition Assessment reports posted

3/11/2016
Facility Educational Adequacy Assessment scores and reports posted

2/12/2016
“What you need to know about the E-SPLOST vote On May 24, 2016” presentation posted

2/1/2016
Timeline updated

11/6/2015
Community Input Survey posted dcsd.questionpro.com

10/9/15
Upcoming community input meetings for October 2015

10/1/15
The Facility Condition Assessment (FCA) and Facility Educational Adequacy Assessment (FEAA) reports will be completed November/December 2015

9/02/15
Updated Facility Educational Adequacy Guide and Capacity Methodology Guide posted

8/06/15
Facility Educational Adequacy Guide and Capacity Methodology Guide posted

7/27/15
Schedule for Facility Educational Adequacy Assessment Site Visits posted

6/22/15
Building S.P.A.C.E.S Facility Condition Assessment Press Release

6/11/15
Building S.P.A.C.E.S website launch

6/11/15
Schedule for Facility Condition Assessment Site Visits post to website

Master Planning

DeKalb County School District’s Master Planning process includes an evaluation of all school and administrative facilities, as well as the infrastructure to support the educational mission of the District. This process includes gathering data about school facilities that will be used to develop priorities leading to the fifth consecutive Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (E-SPLOST V) project list.

The Master Planning process will occur in several phases, ending in the Spring of 2016. Major components of the process include:

  • Stakeholder Engagement: Throughout this initiative, the District will ensure that community stakeholders understand the process and are given ample opportunity to give and receive information. It is essential that the entire community has an opportunity to share insights, thoughts, and recommendations for improving the school environment throughout the District.
  • Facility Condition Assessments (FCA): Specially-trained consultants, as well as architectural, engineering and construction professionals, will be evaluating facility each facility, looking at every building system (e.g., the condition of the windows, the roof, and the HVAC system.) Community members will be invited by the principal to observe this assessment. Please visit the schedule of site visits for the date of the Facility Condition Assessment at each school.
  • Facility Educational Adequacy Assessments (FEAA): Specially-trained consultants (former principals and other educators) will evaluate each school building looking at how well the facility supports the educational programs in the school: e.g., is each science classroom equip with appropriate storage space, lab tables and safety equipment? Community members will be invited by the principal to observe this assessment. Please visit the schedule of site visits for the date of the Facility Educational Adequacy Assessment at each school.
  • Enrollment, Capacity, and Utilization: We will conduct demographic analyses and develop enrollment projections to identify and project student populations by attendance area, school, and grade level. This analyses will aid in the evaluation of the District’s current and future utilization of all schools, based on the ratio of each schools enrollment versus its facility capacity.
  • Operations Review: Adequate support resources are critical to efficient and effective school operations. We will evaluate the District’s current operations against best practices in an effort to enhance the existing operations strategy to support the strategic mission of the District. This review will evaluate the operations related to school nutrition (centralized cold storage or dry storage needs), warehousing and supply management (centralized warehousing of supplies, books, and other media), transportation and vehicle support (bus parking and fueling locations), athletics (shared/regional stadiums and natatoriums), swing space planning for construction projects in E-SPLOST V, centralized registration, parent outreach centers, and training facilities.
  • Surplus Property Review: We will evaluate the District’s surplus properties and develop a comprehensive plan for future use of such properties, in alignment with the District’s strategic operations strategy.
  • E-SPLOST Project List Development

E-SPLOST

Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (E-SPLOST)

  • A significant funding source for capital improvements (e.g. new construction, facility improvements, technology upgrades, etc) which can ONLY be used for educational purposes
  • A one penny consumption tax funded by anyone buying goods in the county, regardless of where they live
  • Must be approved by DeKalb County voters, and has been continuously approved since its inception in 1997
  • The E-SPLOST will expire on June 30, 2017, unless it is continued by the voters of DeKalb County on May 24, 2016

As in the past, a joint resolution was approved between DeKalb County School District, the Atlanta Public Schools and the City Schools of Decatur for the approval of a project list to be presented to the voters via formal referendum in May of 2016. If approved by the voters of DeKalb County, E-SPLOST V sales tax collections would commence on July 1, 2017 and sunset on June 30, 2022.

“What you need to know about the E-SPLOST vote On May 24, 2016” Presentation

In the past, the primary source of local revenue available to most school systems for renovating and modifying existing educational facilities and the construction of new schools, was property tax. Two options were available:

  1. The local board of education (LBOE) could ask the voters to approve issuance of General Obligation Bonds to be repaid from property tax revenues.
  2. The LBOE had the option of using ad valorem tax revenues levied for the Maintenance and Operation (M & O) of schools to fund capital improvement projects.

Either of these options placed the burden for providing adequate local funding for capital improvements directly on property owners.

The constitutional amendment approved by the voters of Georgia in November 1996, allows LBOE’s the option of calling for a referendum to ask their voters to approve an E-SPLOST.

E-SPLOST is regulated by the State Constitution and state laws:

  1. Georgia Constitution Article VIII, Section VI, Paragraph IV
  2. O.C.G.A. § 48-8-110 through § 48-8-121
  3. O.C.G.A. § 48-8-140 through § 48-8-142 (Articles 3 and 4 of Chapter 8 of Title 48 of Official Code of Georgia annotated, as amended in 1997)

For more information on SPLOST and E-SPLOST, please see ACCG’s Guide for County Officials (5th Edition, 2013).

Stakeholder Engagement

Community Input Survey

DeKalb County School District held five (5) regional public input meetings on Tuesday October 20th through Thursday October 29th of 2015 to discuss and gather information related to the District’s E-SPLOST V master planning process called the “Building S.P.A.C.E.S.” Initiative. The “Building S.P.A.C.E.S.” Initiative is an effort to determine how, where, and why future resources should be dedicated to the improvement and modernization of our buildings and infrastructure to support the District’s vision “to inspire our community of learners to achieve educational excellence.”

It is critical that we get as much community input from the respective regions as we can in order to develop a comprehensive master plan and E-SPLOST V project list. If you weren’t able to attend the first round of community input meetings, a survey was provided up until December 4th, 2015 which contained the same questions from the regional input meetings.

Summary of 1st Regional Community Input Meetings and Online Survey

DeKalb County School District is holding five (5) regional public input meetings, to discuss and gather information related to the E-SPLOST V planning called the “Building S.P.A.C.E.S.” Initiative. The “Building S.P.A.C.E.S.” Initiative is an effort to determine how, where, and why future resources should be dedicated to the improvement and modernization of our buildings and infrastructure to support the District’s vision “to inspire our community of learners to achieve educational excellence.”

Click here for the flyer for the community input meetings: English, Español – Spanish, বাঙালি – Bengali, Tiếng Việt – Vietnamese, ኣማርኛ – Amharic, Somali, Burmese, French, Arabic, Nepali and Hindi.

Region 1
Tuesday, October 20th
at 7 – 9 pm
Chamblee HS
3688 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road
Chamblee, GA 30341
Click here to view meeting

Region 2
Thursday, October 29th
at 7 – 9 pm
Tucker HS
5036 LaVista Road
Tucker, GA 30084
Click here to view meeting

Region 3
Tuesday, October 27th
at 7 – 9 pm
Stone Mountain HS
4555 Central Drive
Stone Mountain,
GA 30083
Click here to view meeting

Region 4
Monday, October 26th
at 7 – 9 pm
Miller Grove HS
2645 DeKalb Medical Parkway
Lithonia, GA 30058
Click here to view meeting

Region 5
Thursday, October 22nd
at 7 – 9 pm
Columbia HS
2106 Columbia Drive
Decatur, GA 30032
Click here to view meeting

DeKalb County School District is holding one informational and five (5) regional public input meetings, to discuss and gather information related to the E-SPLOST V planning called the “Building S.P.A.C.E.S.” Initiative.

Informational Meeting – September 27, 2016 Informational Meeting

Informational Meeting Presentation
In formational Meeting Handout

2nd Round of Regional Community Input Meetings

Informational Meeting at AIC Tuesday, September 27th in the AUD 7 PM – 9 PM

Region 1
Thursday, October 13th
at 7 – 9 pm
Chamblee HS
Directions

Region 2
Tuesday, October 4th
at 7 – 9 pm
Tucker HS
Directions

Region 3
Tuesday, October 18th
at 7 – 9 pm
Stone Mountain HS
Directions

Region 4
Tuesday, October 11th
at 7 – 9 pm
Miller Grove HS
Directions

Region 5
Monday, October 17th
at 7 – 9 pm
Columbia HS
Directions

One of the most essential parts of the Building S.P.A.C.E.S Initiative is involving district and community stakeholders in a meaningful way. Throughout this initiative, the District will ensure that community stakeholders understand the process and are given ample opportunity to give and receive information. It is essential that the entire community has an opportunity to share insights, thoughts, and recommendations for improving the school environment throughout the District.

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Timeline

The Facility Master Plan process includes gathering data about school facilities that will be used to develop priorities leading to the Education-Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (E-SPLOST) detailed project list proposal that will go to the Board for approval in December 2016. This process will occur in several phases, starting the Spring of 2015 and continuing until the Spring of 2016. Throughout that time stakeholders will have multiple opportunities to provide input, give feedback, and help shape the plan.

The timeline for the Master Plan major work components is as follows:

  • Conduct Facility Condition Assessment Site Visits: May 2015 – July 2015
  • Conduct Facility Educational Adequacy Assessment Site Visits: August 2015 – October 2015
  • Board approves joint resolution to call for the E-SPLOST vote: February 1, 2016
  • Primary Data posted on website (FCA, FEAA, Enrollment and Capacity): March 11, 2016
  • Initiate public meetings for Secondary School Facility Planning and Feasibility Study: March 2016
  • E-SPLOST Referendum vote: May 24, 2016
  • Conclusion of public meetings for Secondary School Facility Planning and Feasibility: June 2016
  • Public Meeting presenting systems data and proposed selection criteria for detailed project list: July 2016
  • Five regional meetings to discuss draft detailed project list: September 2016
  • Board discussion at Committee of the Whole on the proposed detailed project list and schedule: November 5, 2016
  • Board approval of final detailed project list and schedule: December 7, 2016
  • Sales tax collections commence for the next five-year E-SPLOST period: July 1, 2017
TimelineESPLOST

Frequently Asked Questions

DeKalb County School District (DCSD) is launching the “Building S.P.A.C.E.S.” Initiative in an effort to determine how, where, and why future resources should be dedicated to the improvement and modernization of our buildings and infrastructure to support the District’s vision “to inspire our community of learners to achieve educational excellence.” This initiative helps support equity across all levels of the organization, in every school, and for every member of our district and community. Whether a space is for Student Growth, Parent Engagement, Administrator Leadership, Community Awareness, Educator Support or Service Delivery, S.P.A.C.E.S. needs to be a place where everyone is welcome and the success of all is paramount.

E – SPLOST is the Educational Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, a one percent sales tax currently paid on the sale of good and services sold in DeKalb County, which has been continuously approved by the voters since 1997 and used for capital improvements. Capital improvements include new school construction and renovation, purchase of new school buses, upgrades to information technology and other school systems.

Building S.P.A.C.E.S.” Initiative is important because it will assist the District determining how, where, and why future resources should be dedicated to the improvement and modernization of our buildings and infrastructure to support the District’s vision “to inspire our community of learners to achieve educational excellence.

During the late spring and throughout the summer months of 2015, the Building S.P.A.C.E.S team of specially trained consultants, architectural, engineering and construction professionals evaluated each facility, looking at every building system (e.g., the condition of the windows, the roof, and the HVAC system.) The principal and plant engineer received a questionnaire to complete prior to the assessment. The questionnaire allowed the people most familiar with the building to provide important information regarding the condition of the building. The FCA results in a score of 1-100. The higher the score, the better condition of the building.

During the fall of 2015, members of the Building S.P.A.C.E.S team that included specially trained consultants (former principals and other educators) evaluated each school building looking at how well the facility supported the educational programs in the school (e.g., is each science classroom equipped with appropriate storage space, lab tables and safety equipment). This assessment also included technology readiness to determine how well each facility provides adequate infrastructure for current and future technology. The assessment also included a review of the school safety.
The FEAA Guide was used as the standard for each site evaluation. School staff and parents were invited to participate in the site visit and assessment at each school. The FEAA results in a score of 1-100. The higher the score, the better the building supports the planned educational program.

During the months of April through July of 2015, an interdisciplinary team developed a guide document of what the standards of what constitutes suitable facilities to support the education standards for DeKalb County School District. The Interdisciplinary Team included team members that represented Career, Technical and Agriculture Education (CTAE), Special Education, English Language Learners (ELLs), Art, Music, Science, Pre-Kindergarten, Physical Education, Athletics, Public Safety, Educational Media/Media Centers, Information/Educational Technology, School Nutrition (Food Service/Cafeteria/Kitchen), Transportation, Clinics, Counseling Center and more.

The reports and results from the Facility Condition Assessment and Facility Educational Adequacy Assessment will be available for the public to view in March 2016.

Yes we have a “feedback” section on the Building S.P.A.C.E.S website where you can send in your questions, comments, input, and concerns.

The Building S.P.A.C.E.S. Initiative is important because it will assist the District determining how, where, and why future resources should be dedicated to the improvement and modernization of our buildings and infrastructure to support the District’s vision “to inspire our community of learners to achieve educational excellence.

No, the Facility Educational Adequacy Assessment does not take capacity into account. The FEAA looks solely at the educational adequacy of the space. There is a completely separate effort to determine capacity of each school building.

Yes, capacity takes into account differing room uses in order to better account for differing class sizes for each use. The amount each classroom type contributes is determined first by taking the maximum class size for that classroom type as approved by the Board, and then adjusting that contribution to account for smaller classrooms that may not be able to hold the maximum number of students.

The Building S.P.A.C.E.S team developed the Capacity Determination Guide in collaboration with the District’s Operations Department, Budget and Allotments Departments.

The Building S.P.A.C.E.S Team will take note of all issues that arise from both assessments. Depending on the level of urgency, the issue will either be addressed immediately or will be documented and will factor in when the E–SPLOST V program is being developed.

The vote on the continuation of the E-SPLOST program will be March 24, 2016. The current program will expire on June 30, 2017 unless it is continued by voters.

Data

The following table contains the scores and reports for the Facility Condition Assessment (FCA), Facility Educational Adequacy Assessment (FEAA), the capacity and enrollment for the next seven years for the schools.