(a) On or before January 1, 2024, the Department of Education shall develop the facilities evaluation instrument and inspection cycle in consultation with the Division of Public Health, experts in school facilities maintenance, district superintendents, the Delaware State Education Association, and the Delaware Association of State Administrators.
(b) The facilities evaluation instrument is used to determine if a school facility is in good repair. The facilities evaluation instrument must be designed to identify areas of a school site that are in need of repair based upon a thorough inspection of the site. The facilities evaluation instrument must include a standard of good repair and an evaluation detail component.
(c) The standard of good repair must include the following facility categories and provide a description of a minimum standard of good repair for various facility categories:
(1) Gas leaks.
(2) Mechanical systems.
(3) Sewer.
(4) Interior surfaces.
(5) Overall cleanliness.
(6) Pest or vermin infestation.
(7) Electrical (interior and exterior).
(8) Restrooms.
(9) Sinks and fountains (inside and outside).
(10) Water quality.
(11) Fire safety.
(12) Hazardous materials (interior and exterior).
(13) Structural damage.
(14) Roofs (observed from the ground, inside and outside the building).
(15) Windows, doors, gates, and fences (interior and exterior).
(16) Visible mold or mildew.
(d) The evaluation detail component must be designed to allow for the determination of the scope of conditions across the school campus. In evaluating each area or space, the user should review each of the categories identified in the standard of good repair and make a determination of whether a particular area is in good repair.
(e) A school district may contract out inspection services.
(f) Each school district shall annually present the completed inspection findings and assessments at a public school board meeting.
(g) By May 1 of each year, the superintendent will submit a report of facility inspection findings and a board-approved repair and maintenance plan to the Department of Education, the chairs of the Bond Committee, the chairs of the House and Senate Education Committees, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and the Controller General.