Facilities and Operations

The Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) provides districts and charter schools with support and guidance to build, maintain, and operate public school facilities throughout the state. This work includes:

• School construction – New school construction, major and minor capital improvements, land purchases and more. Some projects may require Certificate of Necessity and voluntary school assessment information.
• Contracts and procurement – State procurement, central contracting for construction projects/school operations, school custodian calculations and more.

Detailed information about this work is available in the school construction technical assistance manual, a reference guide for school building construction and operation. 

Additional resources

• VSA Summary
• Certificate of Necessity applications – A Certificate of Necessity (CN) is a legal document that when approved allows districts to go to referendum for a major capital project.
• FY23 Approved Certificate of Necessity applications - Approved CNs to be considered for the FY23 bond bill.
• FY25 Construction Formula memo – Lists the current cost per square foot for construction.
• FY25 Construction State and Local Share memo - Lists the construction state and local share for projects requested in the FY22 budget
• FY 22-23 State Capacity Report  - School Year 2022-2023 School Capacity Reports
• 2022-2023 Facility Use and Disposition Report – Highlights facility use changes for every Delaware school districts.
• Floor plans – BIM 360 Docs is the web-based solution to house facility floor plans and custodial information Approved access by the Department of Education is required. For approval, reach out to the Education Associate, Capital Project Management.
• Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) - Includes resources for emergency procedures.
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Offers information, guidance, and requirements for the operation of school facilities.
• Office of State Planning - Provides information for the Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS).
• Division of Facility Management – Provides guidance for requirements during the construction process.
• Drinking Water Lead Sampling in Schools - Find the results of lead tests in Delaware schools and helpful resources from the Department of Health and Social Services.