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INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO.: 66

POLICY CODE: FE

TO:               Superintendents of Schools with Major Capital Improvement Projects and Other Interested Parties

FROM:         J. Duke Albanese, Commissioner

DATE:          March 15, 2002

RE:               Major Capital Improvement Priorities List

Please share this information with school board members, educators, and other interested parties.

        The School Construction Team is in the final stages of completing site evaluations at those districts that applied for construction and/or major renovation funds. It is anticipated that all visits will be finalized by April 2002, and all ratings will be compiled by mid-May.

        If all goes as planned, the priority list will be available and presented during the morning workshop of the May 15, 2002, State Board of Education meeting at the Armory in Augusta. The agenda for that meeting will be available on the State Board of Education website at: http://www.maine.gov/education/sb/homepage.htm.

        Once the list has been released, the Department will spend time evaluating and estimating the financial impact of each project. Using the financial impact figures and an analysis of the bond market, a special priority list will be developed and presented to the State Board of Education, for their action in the summer of 2002.

        The following flow chart entitled School Facilities: Major Capital Improvement Process has been developed to help you better understand this process and its timeline.

State of Maine

School Facilities: Major Capital Improvement Process
Rating Cycle 2001-2002


Identification of Need - District

Apply to Department of Education (DOE), Needs Based Application - District

August 1, 2001

Application Review/Site Evaluation - DOE (3 member evaluation team)

September 2001 - April 2002

Compilation of all Evaluation Scores - DOE (3 member evaluation team)

April & May 2002

Development of Priority Listing of All Applicants - DOE (3 member evaluation team)

May 2002

Presentation of DOE Priority List by the Commissioner to the

State Board of Education (SBE)

May 15, 2001

Development of Special Priority Listing for Funding - DOE & SBE

Summer 2002

Recommendation by the Commissioner to the State Board of Education (SBE)

Summer, 2002

Process Explanation to Districts with Special Priority Projects - DOE, SBE, & Bureau of

General Services (BGS)

September 2002

Definition of Project Scope and Analysis - Districts, DOE, SBE, & BGS

Renovation Analysis, Site Analysis, Enrollment Projections, Long-Range Plans, etc.

Beginning September 2002

Concept Approvals - DOE & SBE

Scheduled for 2003 & 2004.

Local Referendum - District

2003/2004