This document outlines planning and construction standards for New York State school buildings. It covers structural safety, materials used, environmental factors, site utilities, mechanical and electrical systems, heating/ventilation/air conditioning, plumbing, gas, electrical work, existing buildings, design/construction procedures, and operations/maintenance. The standards aim to ensure the health, safety, and comfort of students and staff in educational facilities. Construction types, fire resistance ratings, and considerations for people with disabilities are some of the specific topics addressed.

1. Manual of Planning
Standards for
School Buildings –
Educational
Facilities
The University of the State of New York,
The State Education Department. 1998.

2. Part I
Structural and
Safety
Planning
No construction materials shall
be used and no type of
construction shall be permitted
which would endanger the
health, safety, or comfort of
occupants of the facility.

3. Part I
Structural and
Safety
Planning
Construction shall be Class "A," "B," or "C" as defined
by the Local Finance Law, (Appendix C) with fire
resistance of structural elements as required herein.
1. Fire resistance ratings shall be as contained in
Minimum Fire Resistance Tables 704 of the Code
except as modified by S102b and c.
2. The Glossary, (Appendix A) relates Class A, B, and
C construction to Type 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 construction
classification set forth in Part 704 of the Code.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR
CONSTRUCTION

4. Part I
Structural and
Safety
Planning
An elevator for service use as well
as suitable for passenger use shall
be provided between all levels of
multistoried facilities, unless such
levels are interconnected by ramps.
ELEVATOR

5. Part I
Structural
and Safety
Planning
CORRIDORS

6. Part I
Structural
and Safety
Planning
EXITS

7. Part I
Structural
and Safety
Planning
EXITS

8. Part I
Structural
and Safety
Planning
EXITS

9. Part I
Structural
and Safety
Planning
DOORS

10. Part I
Structural
and Safety
Planning
STAIRWAYS

11. Part I
Structural
and Safety
Planning
SMOKE
CONTROL

12. Part I
Structural
and Safety
Planning
FIRE
CONTROL

13. Part I
Structural
and Safety
Planning
PROVIDING FOR
PERSONS WITH
HANDICAPPING
CONDITIONS
Starting with the preliminary
design stage, consideration
shall be given to the needs of
persons with handicapping
conditions who may be using
the building. The building should
be designed so that they have
easy access to it, and so that,
once inside, they can move
about and use the facilities as
readily as those without
handicaps.

14. Part II
Materials
GENERAL
a. Selection of all materials and finishes shall be made
with consideration for assuring fire safe conditions,
life-cycle costs, recyclability, economical and efficient
operation and maintenance, and consideration of
favorable fire insurance rates.
b. b. Materials shall be selected and specified with the
specific goal of promoting health and safety for
building occupants. Consideration must be given to
choose materials proven to have low emissions of
volatile organic compounds and limited production of
particulate matter over their projected life-cycle.

15. Part II
Materials
INTERIOR FINISH
a. Interior finishes are materials applied directly to walls,
fixed or movable partitions, ceilings, and exposed interior
surfaces of a building, etc., as well as the exposed finish
of construction materials. Such finishes may provide
decorative treatments and visual environment (see Part
III-V), sound control (see Part III- Acoustic Environment
requirements), thermal insulation (see S207), and
sanitation. In all cases, interior finishes must be selected
to reduce contribution to propagation of fire.

16. Part II
Materials

17. Part II
Materials

18. Part II
Materials

19. PART III ENVIRONMENT
GENERAL
a. Although focused on teaching and learning, education must also address the
need to maintain a safe, secure, and healthy school environment. The capacity
of children to learn is impeded if their school environment contains elements
which are hazardous to their health. The State Education Department and
educators throughout the State of New York have a responsibility to assure the
school community and the public that, based on the best available knowledge,
school buildings are safe, healthy, clean and in good repair.

20. PART III ENVIRONMENT

21. PART III ENVIRONMENT

22. PART III ENVIRONMENT

23. PART III ENVIRONMENT

24. PART III ENVIRONMENT

25. PART III ENVIRONMENT

26. PART III ENVIRONMENT

27. PART IV SITE AND UTILITIES

28. PART IV SITE AND UTILITIES

29. PART IV SITE AND UTILITIES

30. PART IV SITE AND UTILITIES

31. PART IV SITE AND UTILITIES

32. PART IV SITE AND UTILITIES

33. PART IV SITE AND UTILITIES

34. PART V MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL PLANNING
GENERAL
a. General Provisions, Section S1 through S13 also apply to this Part.
b. b. A school building must provide for the health, comfort, and safety of children, teachers, and other occupants. No
mechanical equipment or construction materials shall be used, nor any type of construction permitted, which will
endanger the health, safety, or comfort of all occupants in the school building.
c. c. It is strongly recommended that the school board authorize engineering studies of any new building program by an
engineer, in conjunction with the architect, to determine all practical steps that can be taken in the building design to
most efficiently utilize the energy that will be consumed. Selection of equipment, and method of its use, should be
made on a basis of Life - Cycle Costing. Heat recovery systems should be utilized wherever possible. Discretion must
be used in the selection of any mechanical system; the efficient utilization of energy in one particular system may have
complementary, or contradictory, effects on other systems of the same building, and, therefore, require alternative
selections.
d. d. Schools submitting building plans and specifications to the State Education Department for Commissioner's
approval shall not place air intake vents adjacent to school bus loading/unloading areas, loading docks, or air exhaust
vents.

35. PART V MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL PLANNING
AVAILABLE SERVICE
a. At the outset of a building program an investigation must be made with
regard to the available fuels, electrical service, water supply, and sewage
disposal facilities which are available or for which provision will have to
be made.
b. b. The selection of the energy for heating and of heating mediums and
systems must be made with economic considerations for owning and
operation of the systems, as well as for their relative efficient use of
energy.

36. PART V MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL PLANNING
EQUIPMENT IDENTIFICATION
a. All heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and electrical equipment
and their controllers shall be labeled and tagged for quick
identification.
b. b. All piping and valves shall also be marked and identified as to
direction of flows and type of flows within piping in accordance with
American National Standards Institute (ANSI 13.1).

37. PART V MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL PLANNING

38. PART VI HEATING, VENTILATING, AND AIR-CONDITIONING
REQUIREMENTS
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
a. General Provisions Section S1 through S13 also apply to this Part.
b. b. These standards are performance standards. The Commissioner of Education has been
given wide, discretionary powers in the approval of specifications for heating and ventilating
and air-conditioning. Any type of system which meets these minimum standards will be
considered for approval. However, simplicity of design with detailed attention to the efficient
use of energy, and ease of maintenance, shall be considered which will provide an effective
system at economical cost. Consider the possibility of adding solar heat collectors in the
future.

39. PART VI HEATING, VENTILATING, AND AIR-CONDITIONING
REQUIREMENTS
HEATING S602-1
General
a. All heating and cooling generating equipment, accessories, and controls and their installation
shall be tested to insure safe operation and shall bear the seal of approval of a national testing
agency as the Underwriters Laboratory for minimum standards of construction and installation; all
pressure vessels shall bear the seal of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Codes.

40. PART VI HEATING, VENTILATING, AND AIR-CONDITIONING
REQUIREMENTS

41. PART VI HEATING, VENTILATING, AND AIR-CONDITIONING
REQUIREMENTS

42. PART VI HEATING, VENTILATING, AND AIR-CONDITIONING
REQUIREMENTS

43. PART VII
PLUMBING AND
GAS FACILITIES

44. PART VII
PLUMBING AND
GAS FACILITIES

45. PART VII
PLUMBING AND
GAS FACILITIES

46. PART VII
PLUMBING AND
GAS FACILITIES

47. PART VII
PLUMBING AND
GAS FACILITIES

48. PART VII
PLUMBING AND
GAS FACILITIES

49. PART VII
PLUMBING AND
GAS FACILITIES

50. PART VIII
ELECTRICAL
WORK

51. PART VIII
ELECTRICAL
WORK

52. PART VIII
ELECTRICAL
WORK

53. PART VIII
ELECTRICAL
WORK

54. PART VIII
ELECTRICAL
WORK

55. PART VIII
ELECTRICAL
WORK

56. PART VIII
ELECTRICAL
WORK

57. PART VIII
ELECTRICAL
WORK

58. PART VIII
ELECTRICAL
WORK

59. PART IX
EXISTING
BUILDINGS
General
a.Existing educational facilities in all school
districts except in cities of one-hundred
twenty-five thousand, or more, population,
shall comply with Section 155.3 of the
Regulations of the Commissioner of Education
to insure the health, safety and accident
protection of occupants.
b.The Regulations are printed in Appendix D.
c. School buildings are classified as Class "A",
"B", or "C" construction as defined by the
Local Finance Law. See Appendix A and C

60. PART X PROCEDURES FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

61. PART XI OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE CONSIDERATIONS

62. THANK YOU