Ocean View School District of Orange County Facilities Master Plan ☝ Menu

Overview Back to Top

Planning for the future requires an understanding of the present. Assessing the condition and quality of existing facilities is a critical step in developing a Facilities Master Plan (FMP).

A team of trained field assessors visited every site within the District to review, photograph, and note physical condition deficiencies related to seven pre-determined major review categories. Each facility is also assessed based on quality of four spatial types.

The Facilities Assessment was performed by DLR Group’s independent assessment team. It documents the physical condition of the OVSD campuses and buildings. The information collected helps us to understand the needs and probable costs of modernizing facilities, to prioritize projects, and to implement the FMP.

The Educational Space Quality Assessment was performed by the OVSD and reviewed by DLR Group. It documents the quality, adequacy for education, and overall function of existing campuses and buildings. This summary can be used to identify opportunities for creating next generation learning environments.

Assessment Grading Criteria and Results Back to Top

Results of the Facilities Assessments and the Educational Space Quality Assessments are summarized in a report for each site. Summaries include grades for major categories, and an overall grade for the site. Grades are developed using pre-established criteria so that they serve as both an objective measurement of a facility’s condition and a subjective appraisal of a property’s condition.

Facilities Assessment Grading Methodology

The main assessment categories for the Facilities Assessments are as follows:

• Site Utilities: Includes underground utilities, such as domestic water, sanitary waste, storm water, natural gas and electrical service, that are located beyond building enclosures.
• Site Improvements: Includes paving, grading, parking, fields, bleachers, swimming pools, landscaping and irrigation.
• Architecture & Structure: Includes exterior walls and finishes, roofs and drainage, and doors and windows.
• Building Systems: Includes systems that are located within or attached to building enclosures, including electrical power, lighting, data/signal, fire alarm, phone, clock, public address, HVAC equipment, ductwork and controls, plumbing and fire sprinklers.
• Interior Spaces: Includes interior wall, floor and ceiling finishes, as well as interior doors and windows.
• Furnishings, Fixtures & Equipment: Includes casework, marker boards, screens, projectors, stage/theater accessories, shelving, bleachers, kitchen equipment and other accessory items.
• Other Structures & Improvements: Includes site fencing and signage, accessibility and code compliance, life-safety components, portables, and general infrastructure.

The following descriptions are used to assign an appropriate grade to the aggregate systems within each category:

Educational Space Quality Grading Methodology

The main assessment categories for the Educational Space Quality Assessments are as follows:

• Academic Learning Spaces: Includes traditional, unspecialized spaces intended for general purpose education.
• Special Learning Spaces: Includes spaces intended for specialized education, including art, music and science.
• Support Spaces: Includes non-educational spaces that are nonetheless critical to the success of academic and special learning spaces, such as administration, teacher collaboration, and custodial spaces.
• School Configuration: Includes the configuration for the campus, looking at size and arrangement of spaces relative to each other and to the overall campus.

The following descriptions are used to assign an appropriate grade to the total of spaces within each category:

Letter Grades and Points

Letter grades for each main category are given a numeric equivalent grade based on grade points typically assigned to letter grades (that is, 4.00 points for an A, 3.00 points for a B, etc.). The numeric grade average of the main assessment categories are then calculated to arrive at an overall Grade Point Average for the campus which is translated into an overall letter grade. The letter grades assigned are based upon the following grading scale:

The grades for each campus are shown on the Campus Report Cards.

Facilities Assessment Summary Back to Top

	Site Utilities	Site utilities usually run underground from the main service connection and branch out to the buildings on the site. They are generally in good condition.
	Site Improvements	Drop-off and pick-up areas are extremely problematic in that they allow intermingling of automobile, bus and pedestrian traffic streams. Asphalt paving has areas that are damaged and deteriorating, damaged, and should be repaired, re-striped and re-sealed. Black asphalt can retain heat. Consider reducing the amount of asphalt, or use of alternate paving surfaces such as lighter-colored asphalt, decomposed granite paving or concrete unit pavers. Due to current water conservation mandates, turf fields are generally in poor condition. Consider installing high-efficiency irrigation systems and drought-tolerant turf species. Fields are generally well-used by the public, and have the potential to be a great public resource. Vertically displaced concrete walks are found at many of the campuses. These can create trip hazards. Exterior lighting levels should be studied in conjunction with safety and security planning.
	Architecture & Structure	Windows and storefronts are generally antiquated, and are not energy efficient. The original buildings were built at a time when it was thought that exterior views and daylighting were not necessary, and there are generally very few windows. Lack of daylighting and views can be detrimental to effective learning.
	Building Systems	HVAC equipment is in various conditions, but the overall systems are reported to be inadequate. Outdated HVAC systems can be inefficient and costly over time. Inadequate HVAC can cause discomfort to students and staff, and hinder learning and teaching capabilities. Sites have individual thermostats, or none at all. Consider installing direct digital controls (DDC) with any new HVAC systems. Most plumbing systems are original to the buildings, and piping may be deteriorated after decades of use. Hidden leaks can damage walls and surrounding areas. Plumbing fixtures are generally in good condition, although classroom sinks at campuses that have not been modernized are not universally accessible. Electrical systems and equipment are original to the buildings, and capacity may not be adequate for current needs. Use of technology is critical for next-generation learning. Insufficient outlets can lead to safety concerns with extension cords and system overload. At the Middle Schools, the central fire alarm panels in the gymnasiums appear to be obsolete, and the manufacturer is no longer in business. Since replacement parts are not available, and because of the age of the panels, they should be replaced.
	Interior Finishes	Except for the campuses that have been recently modernized, it appears that many of the interior finishes are original to the buildings and are in need of replacement.
	Furnishings, Fixtures & Equipment	Kitchen equipment is generally in good condition, although kitchen facilities are small and inadequate. Classroom furniture is older and in varying conditions, but is outdated and does not work with next-generation learning. A variety of furniture can accommodate multiple learning and teaching styles and make learning more enjoyable.
	Other Structures & Improvements	Relocatable buildings are generally in fair to poor condition. Roofing on most of them is beginning to degrade. Other than access to windows, overall quality of the space and finishes is generally poor. Relocatable buildings are often remote from the heart of the campus.

Spatial Quality Assessment Summary and General Recommendations Back to Top

	Academic Learning Spaces	Current educational facilities do not support current learning standards, and hinder teaching and learning. Storage, for both students and teachers, is minimal and contributes to clutter in classrooms.
	Special Learning Spaces	Multi-purpose rooms at many of the elementary schools are portable buildings. They serve as music, performance, assembly and PE spaces, but are generally not suitable for those uses. Art and science are taught in the general classrooms. This means that classrooms have additional storage needs and often leads to clutter. Most of the campuses have separate computer labs and libraries, rather than media centers and technology dispersed into the classrooms.
	Support Spaces	Kitchens are undersized and lack indoor serving areas, which restricts the type and variety of meals that can be served. Eating areas are mostly outdoors, with small fabric shade structures. Campuses struggle to find indoor space in rainy weather. Teacher work rooms and lounges are often combined. Break areas should be separate from work / collaboration areas as they support entirely different types of activities.
	School Configuration	The size of the sites is generous, but areas appear to be under-utilized. Excellent potential for a variety of outdoor learning areas, reading areas, and play areas with a variety of play apparatus and environments. Most schools lack sufficient shaded outdoor areas.

Replacement Cost Index Back to Top

The assessments are categorized in terms of immediate, short-term, mid-term, and long-term needs. These repair items help to establish timelines for projects while project costs are developed. The sums of the expected costs are then weighed against the replacement value of each school to determine the Replacement Cost Index (RCI). This value is important when considering whether or not a facility should be improved or replaced.