School Space Accommodation Standards

2.1 Minimum Level of Service Standard (LoSS) for school

To qualify for capital funding for the construction of an on-reserve school, the minimum enrolment projection is 10 full-day students. In addition, the average annual enrolment for years one to ten of the projection must be at least 10 students.

The look-up tables presented in Appendix C provide school space allowances for an enrolment starting at 10 or more students.

In such cases where a school does not have an annual projected enrolment for 10 or more full-day students, a small school may be established. The necessary GFAs for a small school shall be manually added to the Total GFAs and justified in the proponent's submission for funding. Formal approval from ISC is required.

2.2 Student enrolment projections

Student enrolment projection refers to the estimated number of students who will attend a school in future years. Enrolment projections use community and education demographic trends that include nominal roll to provide a tailored estimation of the likely student population in future years for the purpose of sizing schools and planning for appropriate elementary and secondary education programming, which includes support for eligible adult First Nation people who wish to return to high school in their communities and complete their high school education. The enrolment projections take into consideration possible student migration, repatriation and exceptional circumstances such as identified housing challenges which necessitate families to live outside of the reserve boundary but are essentially still part of the reserve community for service delivery. Enrolment projections represent the most important input in the determination of the proposed school's Total GFA allowance and are a major capital cost driver because they have a direct impact on eligible school size.

Enrolment projections should only be prepared by specialists in socio-economic and demographic studies. At a minimum, an enrolment projection study must provide historic data together with a breakdown of projected enrolments by grade level over a period of ten to twenty years.

Please note that regardless of provincial education curriculum requirements, ISC allows full-day attendance of kindergarten students.

Consultants who conduct an enrolment projection study are expected to show authentic engagement with community and education departments, to research the following sources of information:

Community Research

• Membership: broken down by ages for the past 15 years to estimate potential growth rates
• The Indian Registration System broken down by ages for the past 15 years to estimate potential growth rates
• Housing: Plans to increase residences
• Social Services: Number of children in care that are expected to return to the Community
• Health: Birth rates and mortality rates
• Migration: Document effects of contributing factors to "In" and "Out" Migration:
  • Education
  • Housing
  • Economics
  • Environment
• Federal records for families within the First Nation region
• Additional legislation, events and factors that affect the demographics of a community

Education and Enrolment Research

Consultants conducting an enrolment study are responsible to collect and research the following Education information that may be available in the community:

• Current and historical enrolment numbers broken down by grades
• Current and historical number of students on waiting lists
• Number of First Nations students who cannot access services within the existing facilities due to accessibility issues or lack of facilities for services
• Number of First Nations students who attend schools off reserve
• Number of First Nations students living off-reserve who attend nation schools
• Enrolment of non-status students and members of other First Nations
• Relevant legislation such as included in the Protocol for ISC-Funded Infrastructure and ISC policies including the Grants and Contribution to Support First Nations Elementary and Secondary Education Advancement that affects enrolment, curriculum, accessibility, and programs

Analysis

• Use multiple sources of demographic information to develop growth rates within a population
• Review baseline data from membership, registries, and health (adjusting for late reporting of births)
• Calculate birth rate trends
• Factor into analysis the historical trends over 15 years accounting for local community conditions, events, and legislation that have affected demographics
• Utilize historical enrolment rates while taking into consideration the waiting lists and accessibility issues if available in the community, as well as other factors, such as if there was an existing school in the community already or band members who had to live off-reserve due to housing issues, which have affected enrolment
• Develop enrolment projection model/s
• Evaluate model/s with historical data

Methodology, process, constructs and modeling used for the research and analysis described above must be comprehensive and justified.

2.3 Design horizon projections

A design horizon is the timeline between the opening of a school facility and when that facility reaches capacity. Design horizon projections are a sub-set of the enrolment projections. First Nations school projects are sized on the basis of enrolment reaching capacity within a 10 year -12 year design horizon after a school opens.

The design horizon approach applies to school projects based on the premise that the projected student population increases over the first ten years following the school opening. In exceptional cases where this premise does not apply, with justification, the First Nation community may choose a design horizon that is longer than 10 years - up to 12th year of operation or shorter than 10 years of operation. Formal approval from ISC is required for alternative design horizons. For example, an alternate design horizon may be considered in cases where a community has been consistently showing growth rates for the past 10 to 15 years that are much higher or lower than the average growth rate for First Nation Communities in Canada.

To see an example of a design horizon, refer to the Table 1 in Appendix D. The column labeled "Year 15" is the design horizon projections, or the estimated enrolments 10 years after the school reopening.

2.4 School Types & Grade Ranges

School types and grade ranges represent groupings of grades that pertain to education curriculum requirements (i.e. the grades to be taught).

The SSAS provides GFA allowances based on the premise that the projected enrolments for the grades to be offered can be accommodated in a single school building or school complex unless a feasibility study clearly demonstrates reasoning for building education facilities on separate sites, such as site restrictions, and that all reasonable land expansion options have been considered.

The actual grade ranges within a school may vary from one to another. For the purpose of the SSAS, school facilities are grouped into the following grade ranges. These ranges are listed in the Table 3.1 in Appendix A to facilitate space calculation.

• Kindergarten K4 – K5
• Elementary (or Primary), grades 1 to 3;
• Elementary Intermediate, grades 4 to 6;
• Junior Secondary, grades 7 to 9 (Secondary 1,2, 3 in Quebec);
• Senior Secondary, grades 10 to 12 (Secondary 4 and 5 in Quebec).

Once the school type and range have been determined in Table 3.1 in Appendix A, a corresponding GFA table in Appendix C will be identified. Refer to Appendix A for more detailed instructions.

2.5 Determination of gross floor area allowances

Once enrolment projections and the number of special education students have been accepted by the First Nation and ISC, the SSAS total Gross Floor Area may be calculated by following the steps listed in Appendix A.

When using these tables, it is important to abide by the SSAS rules and not to make assumptions, or extrapolations, beyond the limits allowed by the tables. In some cases, the SSAS cannot be applied mechanically and judgement is needed to work around limitations.

The following is a summary of the instructions:

• Determine the range of grades, zone, design horizon.
• Complete Table 1 Projected Enrolment by Grade , with the projected enrolments, up to and including the "Design horizon" year.
• Enrolment projection adjustment: When agreed upon enrolment projections include potential First Nations students or non-First Nation students living off-reserve subject to joint school contribution arrangement with provincial authorities, or when not-accounted-for students should be considered, complete Table 2.1 Enrolment Adjustments, with manual adjustment of the number of enrolment adjustments for joint school agreements or students that have not been accounted for within the demographic projections.
• All projected numbers within the manual adjustments must be approved by the First Nation and ISC.
• Enter projected enrolment projections and adjustments to calculate the total enrolments in Table 2.2 Projected Total Enrolments for each grade.
• Summarize the Enrolments in Table 2.3 Summary of Total Enrolments.
• Use Table 3.1 Guide to Appendix C to determine which table from Appendix C is applicable.
• Determine Standard Sub-Total of GFA in Table 3.2 Determining Gross Floor Area Allowances.
• If enrolments do not fit within the range of values in Table 3.1, or Appendix C, refer to Table 3.3 for Kindergarten, and/or Table 3.4 for additional space for Elementary/Secondary grades.
• Determine the space required for Special/Inclusive Education Students using Table 3.5, Table 3.6, Table 3.7 and Table 3.8.
• Table 3.9 is used to determine if additional space is allocated for Community Gathering. Table 3.10 is used to calculate any additional space required for community gathering.
• Table 3.11 is used to determine if additional space is allocated for Emergency Planning. Table 3.12 is used to calculate any additional space required for emergency planning.
• Use Table 3.13 Additional Space Allowance for Indoor and/or Outdoor Storage Space to provide the approved allocation for storage space.
• Use Table 3.14 Additional Space Allowance for Mechanical Rooms to provide the approved allocation for mechanical rooms.
• Complete Table 3.15 Summary of School Space Allowances SSAS Application Results.

For an example of how to use Appendices A to C see Appendix D.

2.6 Standard size of classrooms

First Nations determine the size and design of their classrooms based on their needs, projected student enrolments, or potential regional education agreement teacher/student ratio allocations.

The following are recommended average classroom sizes which reflect educations standards in Canada and support First Nations' learning needs.

• Kindergarten: The standard size for a Kindergarten classroom is 100.8 m² (net space) to accommodate active learning and special/inclusive education. If the area standard for a kindergarten classroom is inappropriate due to a small local population, with the approval of the community, a smaller classroom may be considered. Justification must be provided within the education specification, and sizes noted within room data sheets for any kindergarten classroom that is below the standard.
• Grades 1 to 12 classrooms: The standard size for a grade 1 to 12 classroom is 80 m² (net space) to accommodate student led, project based learning, and special/inclusive education. If the area standard for a grade 1 to 12 classroom is inappropriate due to a small local population, with the approval of the community, a smaller classroom may be considered. Justification must be provided within the education specification, and sizes noted within room data sheets for any classroom that is below the standard.

2.7 Adjustments for enrolments higher than SSAS table limits

Sometimes, enrolment projection values are above the limits granted by the GFA values listed in Appendix C, In such cases, Appendix A still needs to be completed using the largest available GFA values in the look-up tables. Building on this largest possible Total GFA allowance, SSAS users can obtain additional space allowances for kindergarten to grade 12 students as follows:

• Kindergarten students: See Table 3.3 Additional Space allowance for Kindergarten Enrolment in Appendix A. An additional kindergarten classroom is 100.8 m² of net space and associated circulation/common space for every additional group of 26 students above the maximum level granted by Appendix C GFA tables.
• Grade 1 to 12 students: See Table 3.4 Additional Space allowance for Grades 1 to 12 Enrolment in Appendix A. An additional classroom is 80 m² of net space and associated circulation/common space for every additional group of 26 students above the maximum level granted by Appendix C GFA tables.

Additional GFA is provided in accordance with the methodology used in the development of Appendix C GFA tables. However, adjustments over the SSAS limits, even though supported by valid and approved enrolment projections, in some cases (e.g. enrolment that is twice the maximum set out in the GFA tables) require further examination on a case by case basis and may be subject to further ISC approvals.

2.8 Additional Gross Floor Area allowance for special/inclusive education needs students

ISC's Education and Social Development Programs and Partnerships' (ESDPP) Elementary and Secondary Education Program provides remedial instruction, clinical services, elder services, mentoring services, traditional services, cultural services and other support services to students who have learning disabilities and other special needs. Consequently, the department provides additional space allowance for each special/inclusive education needs student in the determination of the Total GFA allowance for a school. This extra GFA can be allocated towards larger regular classrooms, special classrooms, cultural and linguistic based services, or other spaces as required by the First Nation.

To determine the number of special/inclusive education needs students in First Nation communities, teachers and specialists are involved in the assessment of students to determine their eligibility for special/inclusive education services. Special/inclusive education services are provided under ESDPP's Elementary and Secondary Education Program, and High Cost Special Education Program. Accordingly, the department annually tracks the number of special/inclusive education needs students together with other nominal roll information.

As First Nations determine, special/inclusive education needs may be addressed in collaboration with other programs funded through other federal or provincial programs to provide a more effective and comprehensive solution to community's needs.

Enrolments for special/inclusive education students must be recorded and approved by First Nations and appropriate project authorities using Appendix B forms. Justifications must be provided when enrolment numbers differ from the department's records.

When applying the SSAS, the additional GFA allowance for special needs students is determined as follows:

• Base GFA allowance for special/inclusive education students: In the SSAS, special/inclusive education students needs should be calculated based on the 15 year enrolment projections in order to properly calculate the allocations.
• Additional GFA allowance for special/inclusive education students: The SSAS allocates an additional GFA of 3.75 m² to each special needs student. To determine the additional GFA allowance for a proposed school, SSAS users need to fill out Tables 3.5, 3.6 and 3.7
• Service based space allocation for special needs students: If there is not enough space for special/inclusive education services in the 3.75 m² allocations, further spaces will be allocated based on services provided to special needs students in order to cover remaining space needs. The service based allocation must be manually added as it would differ in every situation.

2.9 Additional Gross Floor Area allowance for community gathering or emergency response center

First Nations communities that are located in Zone 3 or Zone 4 are allowed additional space in order to use the proposed school as a community center or emergency response center.

A community emergency plan should be used to determine if additional space allocation is required within a community school funded by ISC. The allocation of space should be determined using the area per person ratio for the type of use for occupant load within the provincial building code.

All First Nations, regardless of zone location, without an existing community center, emergency response space, or gymnasium are also eligible, with justification, to get additional space as part of their school project. However, a school project is not eligible for extra space when communal space is already available in an existing school or other community building.

2.10 Additional Gross Floor Area allowance for storage room and space for school supplies

Storage space for items such as educational supplies or outdoor maintenance equipment should be sized to meet the specific needs of the school. On a case by case basis, extra indoor or outdoor storage space can be provided to any school in addition to the space specified in the GFA tables, but must be justified in the proponents' submission for funding. This extra storage space is not accounted for in the GFA tables, and must be manually added to the Total GFA. For example, in remote areas, justification for extra storage space may be that a school gets their supplies only once a year, due to its remote location, and requires space to store a year's worth of supplies.

2.11 Mechanical Room

The Gross Floor Area for the school's mechanical room is not accounted for in the GFA tables. The mechanical space is a percentage of the sum of the Standard sub-total GFA, Special / Inclusive GFA, and additional required space for emergencies and storage. A mechanical consultant should provide the percentage of space that is required. The necessary GFA shall be manually added to the Total GFA and justified in the proponents' submission for funding.

2.12 Outdoor Learning Space

The SSAS tables in Appendix C allocate outdoor learning space. Based on a range of students, an allocation of 0.5 m² per student at the upper limit of the range, with a 20 m² minimum, will be provided for dedicated Outdoor Learning Space GFA. While the Total GFA of a school is flexible in its use, outdoor Learning Space cannot be re-allocated to interior spaces, and is exclusive from the Standard Sub-Total GFA allowance. Schools may include outdoor areas that can be used for formal and informal education activities.

Outdoor learning spaces should be guided by the language, cultural and land based education programing and documented in an Education Specification. They may include but are not limited to outdoor workstations, seating areas, clearings, trails, etc. The space may be attached to the school, or may be a separate space on the school site.

3.1 Design horizon planning considerations

First Nations school projects are sized on the basis of projected student enrolment 10 years after school opening.

It is the school planner's responsibility to ensure that the proposed infrastructure and method of construction meet the evolving needs of First Nations while supporting student success. Given that the design horizon is based on the assumption that the population will change over the 10 year timeframe, it is up to the planner to make recommendations on how best to accommodate that change within the school facility. Options to develop infrastructure that are submitted to ISC for funding approval are expected to include strategies to increase internal school facility capacity and expand building systems to support additions to the school facility. Or, in rare cases decommission facilities as populations decrease.

3.2 School Net Gross GFA Ratio

The SSAS is not prescriptive when allocating specific amounts of space, but there is a recommended school net to gross ratio as described below:

As explained in Section 2, eligible school size is expressed as:

• Total Gross Floor Area ( Total GFA) allowance, which encompasses the full footprint of all of a school's enclosed floor areas measured on plan to the exterior faces of perimeter walls.
• Net Floor Area (NFA), which is the Total GFA minus the area for walls, circulation (i.e., corridors, stairways), entrance lobbies, foyers, vestibules, facility service spaces (such as electrical, mechanical, storage, custodial, operations, and maintenance).

The GFA approach to determining eligible school space provides the First Nations with flexibility to establish a school layout that suits site-specific and community-specific requirements. Concurrently, it is the responsibility of the consultant to achieve efficiencies within the Education Specification so that it meets identified needs and accommodates all educational and special-purpose spaces within the Total GFA allowance. An outline of the details of education programming should be described in the Education Specification (See section 2 for a definition of Education Specification).

As a best practice requirement, the school design should comply with a NFA to Total GFA ratio ranging between 70% and 80%:

NFA ÷ GFA = (70% to 80%)

This means that the sum of area for entrance lobbies, foyers, vestibules, circulation (i.e., corridors, and stairways), facility service spaces as well as unusable space occupied by openings, walls, partitions, and columns should not exceed 20% to 30% of the Total GFA.

The ratio for larger schools will be higher, as there is an economy of scale for services spaces that will benefit larger schools more.

3.3 Space planning considerations

First Nations determine the size and configuration of the areas within the school based on the education specification. First Nations schools will be eligible for at least one of each room, but First Nations determine how the GFA allowances are used in order to meet their unique needs. The number, type and size of spaces will vary depending on the student capacity, grade levels, services and programs identified within the education specification. For example, the need for specialized programs may increase within higher grade levels.

As First Nations determine, the school may include the following spaces:

• Learning spaces: The learning spaces under the Basic GFA should accommodate the type of use, occupancy and local programing requirements documented within the Education Specification. Provincial safety standards should be noted for spaces with workplace training considerations. Due consideration should be given to determine and identify the capacity of students within each instructional space.
  • The learning spaces may include classrooms, learning commons, maker spaces, workshops, labs, and other ancillary spaces such as:
    • Auditoriums
    • Science rooms
    • Home economics rooms
    • Industrial art rooms
    • Any other rooms required to support First Nations elementary and secondary education programming
• Administration areas: Administration space should meet the needs of the school. This may include administration offices, preparation workroom, resource room, staff rooms and staff wellness space. GFA allowance for administration areas varies considerably depending on agreed upon enrolment projections.
• Gym office: A gym office is recommended when the education curriculum has a full-time physical education instructor or a teacher fulfilling this role.
• Language and Culture Spaces: An allocation of 100.8 m² for enrolment up to 294 students with an additional 7.8 m² for each additional 26 students (0.3 m² per student). This space may be used for a variety of cultural activities, including but not limited to language immersion, during and after regular school hours. Separate ventilation control of the space, and lockable storage for cultural items should be considered.
• Knowledge Keeper's Spaces: An allocation of 15 m² for enrolment up to 294 students with an additional 2.6 m² for each additional 26 students (0.1 m² per student) will be included in the Total GFA allowance for a school. Further considerations such as, but not limited to, a private washroom for Knowledge Keeper's and separate ventilation control should be determined by First Nations as the school is being designed.
• Counselling / Flexible/Itinerant Spaces: An allocation of 30 m² for enrolment up to 138 students with an additional 5.2 m² for each additional 26 students (0.2 m² per student) will be included in the total GFA allowance. Further considerations may be given to accommodate the following services and uses, but are not limited to:
  • Office space for professionals such as
    • Social Workers
    • Community Protection Officers
    • Mental Health Workers
    • Speech and Language Pathologists
    • Health Nurses
  • First Aid Room / Medical Rest Area
  • Sensory / Exceptional Areas

3.4 Washrooms

The number and size of washrooms are based on projected student enrolments and comply with applicable provincial requirements.

First Nations will be able to collaborate with school planners and designers to ensure that washroom layouts meet the community's needs, as determined by First Nations. The proposed washrooms may include, but are not limited to, fully accessible, barrier-free, gender neutral, personal care, and kindergarten washrooms.

3.5 Other considerations

Education Programming

Additional space considerations to support unique education programming needs, beyond special purpose rooms and spaces outlined in Section 2.10 of the SSAS, are made when a community demonstrates that the SSAS is insufficient to accommodate these needs. These additions may include spaces for home economics and culinary arts, technology education (eg. woodwork or automotive), language, depending on the official language obligations of the province, or any other program offered within the province. Any request for additional space allowance must be justified by school project proponents in an Education Specification defined in Section 3.0 and will be subject to and supported by applicable capital project reviews and approvals.

Early Learning and Child Care Services

Early learning and child care is not included in the Elementary and Secondary Education Program, and as such the SSAS does not include space consideration for this service.

There are several early learning and childcare initiatives being implemented across the country through provincial/territorial bilateral agreements with the Government of Canada. The Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care (IELCC) and Multilateral Early Learning and Child Care Framework provide a guide for communities, program administrators, service providers, policy makers and governments to work towards achieving a shared vision that all Indigenous children have the opportunity to experience high-quality, culturally-strong ELCC. Any new strategic action concerning school standards in either frameworks will respect the principles of respect, collaboration and partnerships in the IELCC Framework.

First Nations communities interested in including early learning and child care services in their school planning are encouraged to contact the Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Secretariat housed at Employment and Social Development Canada for information on potential capital funding opportunities with early learning and child care services by email at NC-IELCC-AGJEA-GD@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca.

Sustainability/Climate change

First Nations are encouraged to consider incorporating a sustainable building plan and aligning with Canada's climate plan and Indigenous Services Canada's Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy when collaborating with school planners during the feasibility stage of the project. A plan should include social, economic and environmental objectives that are achievable. Objectives may include the reduced consumption of natural resources, the efficient use of energy and water while improving the environment, health and wellbeing of the students. Consideration may be given to the sustainability of proposed sites, longevity of building systems and materials, resiliency to climate change, and aligned with Canada's climate plan.

Appendix A: Worksheets

Appendix A outlines the steps necessary to calculate the Total Gross Floor Area, the allocation of space for a specified number of students, programs, and services within a learning community. This information will be used in Appendix B: Project Application Form. See Appendix D: Example to see how a sample enrolment is used to calculate SSAS.

Appendix B: SSAS Project Application Form

Appendix B summarizes the information and calculations completed in Appendix A on enrolments, special education, and building program requirements. This form compiles the information that should be submitted with a feasibility study for funding for major capital projects such as renovations, additions or new facilities. This form also serves to affirm that the information provided is correct, and there is an area for signatures at the end of the document.

An Indigenous Services Canada Regional Office will review the application form; attest that departmental due diligence was applied; and that the application of the SSAS as submitted by the First Nation meets applicable SSAS requirements.

Project Data:

• New School Project
• Existing School Modernization/Addition
• School Name
• Band Number
• Reserve Number
• Reserve Name
• Postal Code
• Normal Year Round Access

SSAS Requirement Checklist

SSAS application forms must be attached to school project application submissions, together with other documents required by the project approval process, and the required departmental signatures that are required at that stage.

• □ Demographic Report
• □ Attach adjustments if applicable for the following:
  • □ Adjustments for enrolments if higher than SSAS Table limits with background information
  • □ Enrolment projections for non-accounted students with supporting documentation
  • □ Special/Inclusive Education allocation with supporting documentation
  • □ Additional space allocation with supporting documentation for:
    • □ Community gatherings
    • □ Emergency events
    • □ Extra storage
    • □ Mechanical services
• □ SSAS Calculation including Standard sub-total spaces and any additional allocations
• □ Education Specification
• □ Net to Gross calculations with a ratio between 70–80%
• □ Affirmation that data has been verified

Appendix C: Gross Floor Area Allowance Tables

The following tables provide the allocation of space for specific grade ranges and number of enrolments. A summary of these tables is provided in Appendix A, Table 3.1.

Appendix D: School Space Accommodation Standards Application Example

The following illustrates how to use Appendix A: Worksheets through an example of calculating the School Space Accommodations Standards for a Comprehensive Elementary/Secondary School, Kindergarten to Grade 12.

Step 1: Preliminary SSAS information

Step 2: Proposed school project enrolment (SSAS input information)

Step 3: Calculation of Gross Floor Area Allowances (SSAS Application)

Use Table 3.1 to determine which Appendix C Table is applicable for the proposed school project.

• Use the value of Line 1 to find the applicable range of Kindergarten enrolments.
• Use the value of Line 2 to find the applicable range of Elementary/Secondary enrolments.
• If the values for Line 1 and Line 2 fit within the same row of ranges in Table 3.1, find the applicable SSAS table in Appendix C and proceed to Table 3.2.
• If the values for Line 1 and Line 2 do not line up on one row in Table 3.1 use the upper row to find the applicable table in Appendix C. Then, use Table 3.3 or Table 3.4 to calculate the additional space for Kindergarten or Elementary/Secondary respectively.
• If one or both of the enrolments do not fit within the range of values within Table 3.1 follow the steps below:
  • If just the Kindergarten enrolment (Line 1) does not fit within the range of enrolment listed in Table 3.1, use the relevant range of enrolments for Elementary/Secondary to find the applicable table in Appendix C. Then proceed to Table 3.3 which provides a way to calculate additional space for extra Kindergarten enrolments. Below is an example where the Kindergarten enrolment is not within the ranges listed in Table 3.1:
    • If there are 56 Kindergarten students and 310 in grades 1 to 4 students, select B3 in Appendix C. Then proceed to Table 3.3 to calculate additional space for extra Kindergarten enrolments.
  • If just the Elementary/Secondary enrolment (Line 2) does not fit within the range of enrolments listed in Table 3.1, use the relevant range enrolments for Kindergarten to find the applicable table in Appendix C. Then proceed to Table 3.4 which provides a way to calculate additional space for extra Elementary/Secondary enrolments. Below is an example where the Elementary/Secondary enrolment is not within the ranges listed in Table 3.1:
    • If there are 25 Kindergarten students and 400 in grades 1 to 6 students, select B2 in Appendix C. Then proceed to Table 3.4 to calculate additional space for extra Elementary/Secondary enrolments.
  • If both your Kindergarten and Elementary/Secondary enrolment values are above the range of values provided in Table 3.1, then use the lowest row of enrolments possible for your school type and apply the corresponding SSAS Appendix C Table. Then proceed to both Table 3.3 and Table 3.4 to calculate the additional space required. Below is an example where two values are not found within the ranges listed in Table 3.1:
    • If there are 57 Kindergarten students and 400 students in grades 1 to 6, select B3 in Appendix C. Then proceed to Table 3.3 to calculate additional space for Kindergarten enrolments. Next, proceed to Table 3.4 to calculate additional space for Elementary/Secondary enrolments.

Note: In this example, the school type is Comprehensive Elementary/Secondary

Use the applicable table from Appendix C to determine the values for Table 3.2:

If there are no further adjustments proceed to Table 3.5.

Adjustments for enrolments higher than SSAS table limits (See section 2.7)

• If your projected Kindergarten enrolment is less than the maximum enrolment listed in Table 3.1, skip Lines 12 to 18
• If your projected Kindergarten enrolment is greater than the maximum enrolment listed in Table 3.1, fill in Lines 12 to 18 (Table 3.3)

Table 3.3 Additional Space Allowance for Kindergarten Enrolment (for values greater than those Listed in Table 3.1)

Table 3.3 calculates the allocation of space required for each increment of 26 students for Kindergarten classrooms, circulation, and service spaces.

• If your projected Elementary/Secondary enrolment is less than the maximum enrolment listed in Table 3.1, skip Lines 19 to 25
• If your projected Elementary/Secondary enrolment is greater than the maximum enrolment listed in Table 3.1, fill in Lines 19 to 25 (Table 3.4)

Table 3.4 Additional Space Allowance for Elementary/Secondary Enrolment (for values greater than those listed in Table 3.1)

Table 3.4 calculates the allocation of space required for each increment of 26 students for Elementary/Secondary classrooms, circulation, and service spaces.

Additional Gross Floor Area allowance for Special/Inclusive Education Students (See section 2.8 and glossary)

The department provides additional space allowance for the projected number of Special/Inclusive education students with mild to profound needs. The determination of the Total GFA allowance for a school. To determine the number of special needs students in First Nation communities, teachers and specialists are involved in the assessment of students to determine their eligibility for special education services. The projected number of students receiving services should correspond with the rate of change for enrolments within the demographic report.

Enter the approved projected number of Special/Inclusive education student enrolments in Table 3.5 below:

Note: For this community, 35% of students are receiving Special/Inclusive Education Services. 35% has been applied to the projected enrolments to estimate future Special/Inclusive education enrolments.

The allocation of 3.75 m²/student is dedicated to support Special/Inclusive education services specific to the learning community. Table 3.7 identifies the type of Special/Inclusive services needed, how frequently they are to be delivered and the number of participants expected to receive those services. Certain services may be delivered to different numbers of participants, for example, large group instruction (26 students), small group remediation (3 to 5 students), or individual support. This information will inform the education specification when determining the location, adjacencies, capacity and utilization of space required for each service.

45 Table 3.7 Special/Inclusive Education Services

Note: the following services of this example are typical services. Each project should specifically identify the Special/Inclusive education services within the learning community.

• If the allocation of space on Line 48 is greater than 0, attach the outline of Special/Inclusive education spaces, and justification for additional space to Appendix B.

Additional Gross Floor Area Allowance for Community Gathering Space (See section 2.9 and glossary)

As outlined in Section 2.9, First Nation communities may need additional space for emergencies or community gatherings.

• Additional space for community gatherings is calculated based on assembly occupancy with non-fixed seats and tables.
• It is assumed that 33% of the assembly will be comprised of the student body.
• Justification must be provided if additional space is required. Provide rationale and justification in Appendix B.

• If the answer to Line 49 is "No", the school project may be eligible for additional gym/cafeteria space. Fill in Table 3.10.
• If the answer to Line 49 is "Yes", skip down to Line 55 and enter "0".

Additional Gross Floor Area Allowance for Emergency Planning Space (See section 2.9 and glossary)

• If you answered "No" to Line 56, Line 57, or Line 58, your project may be eligible for additional emergency planning space allowance. Fill in Table 3.12.
• If you answered "Yes" to Line 56, Line 57, and Line 58, your project is not eligible for additional emergency planning space allowance. Skip down to Line 63 and enter "0".
• If the community does not have an emergency response plan in place:
  • Engage community leaders, provincial and regional emergency planning, and Indigenous Services Canada regional representatives to identify potential emergency events.
  • Identify how the community would expect to utilize a school facility in the event of an emergency.
  • Provide supporting documentation on engagement and emergency planning. Attach to Appendix B.
• Additional space for emergency use is calculated based on the expected use and projected Occupant Load indicated in an emergency planning document.
• The ratio of space for the occupant load should be determined using the area per person for an assembly occupancy within the provincial building code (or if applicable the national building code).

Note: This community is part of a provincial regional emergency plan. It is to support mustering and food services in the event of a forest fire. Only two classrooms (160 m²) would be suitable to support these emergency services.

Additional Gross Floor Area Allowance for Additional Storage Space (See section 2.10)

• Additional storage space may be funded pending approved justification.
• In isolated areas where schools get their supplies only once a year, it is particularly important that sufficient storage space be available.
• Storage space is comprised of administration, gym, education, O&M, and custodial space.
• Storage for emergencies is included in Table 3.12.
• Attach rational and justification for additional storage space to Appendix B for review.

Approved and justified additional storage space is inputted on Line 64 below.

Additional Gross Floor Area allowance for mechanical services

• Attach rational and justification for mechanical space to Appendix B for review.