It is important to keep in mind that preserving historic schools is not always more costly than new construction. In some cases rehabilitation is a much more cost-effective alternative to new construction. However, a historic building rehabilitation requires careful planning involving a knowledgeable team of professionals.
Building Codes
Safety is a primary concern of school boards and parents of children who attend public schools of any vintage. This is important factor should not be compromised solely to maintain a building's historic integrity but can now be balanced with new building code requirements. In November 1999, Governor Tom Ridge signed Act 45, the Uniform Construction Code (UCC) act, which adopted the International Code Council family of codes as the statewide building code in Pennsylvania. These codes are a result of a merger between Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA) and two other code agencies, International Council of Building Officials (ICBO) and Southern Building Code Congress International (SBCII) to produce one set of uniform code standards that are accepted across the country, known as the International Codes. A component of this code is the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) that provides provisions for alterations to existing and historic buildings. Municipalities that have elected to administer and enforce the building code locally have the flexibility to receive a quasi-exemption from UCC requirements under Act 45 if a building is designated by government entities as historic. Hundreds of historic buildings across Pennsylvania, historic schools included, have been sensitively rehabilitated following the requirements of the IEBC. Historic buildings can accommodate safety guidelines and the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. For more information about building codes in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry's website at http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/uniform_construction_code/10524.
Hazardous Materials
Historic school buildings may contain substances or materials considered hazardous or dangerous. Materials such as asbestos and lead-based paint are commonly found in historic buildings. The presence of such materials may not be reason to conclude that the building cannot be safely remedied for continued use. For more information on lead-based paint hazards, visit the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Guidelines for the Evaluation and Control of Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Housing at http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/healthy_homes/lbp/hudguidelines and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission's Guidance for Lead Based Paint Abatement in Historic Preservation Projects http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/Portal/forms/RITC/lead_paint.pdf.
In 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed into law the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act. The Act directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a regulatory framework to require schools to inspect their buildings for asbestos and take appropriate abatement actions using qualified, accredited persons for inspection and abatement. For more information about the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, visit http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/asbestos_in_schools.html.
Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit Program (RITC)
This incentive program offers owners who rehabilitate income-producing properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places with a 20% federal income tax credit. To date, nearly fifty historic schools in Pennsylvania have been rehabilitated and adapted to new uses ranging from affordable housing to corporate offices with the assistance of the RITC incentive program. Innovative school boards have had success in using the program to help fund historic school rehabilitations and, in some cases, retain the educational purpose of the building.
Learn more at:
National Park Service, Historic Preservation Tax Incentives
www.cr.nps.gov/hps/tps/tax/index.htm
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Federal Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credits
www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/rehabilitation_investment_tax_credit_program/2646
National Trust for Historic Preservation, Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies
www.preservationnation.org/resources/case-studies/historic-neighborhood-schools/maggie-l-walker-governors-school.html
National Trust for Historic Preservation, Historic Neighborhood Schools Deliver 21st Century Educations
www.preservationnation.org/issues/historic-schools/additional-resources/schools_21st_edu.pdf
Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation
The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation are ten basic principles created by the National Park Service to help preserve the distinctive character of a historic building and its site, while allowing for reasonable change to meet new needs.
The Standards (36 CFR Part 67) apply to historic buildings of all periods, styles, types, materials, and sizes. They apply to both the exterior and the interior of historic buildings. The Standards also encompass related landscape features and the building's site and environment as well as attached, adjacent, or related new construction.
Rehabilitation projects must meet the following Standards, as interpreted by the National Park Service, to qualify as "certified rehabilitations" eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation investment tax credit.
Learn more at:
The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation
www.cr.nps.gov/hps/tps/tax/rehabstandards.htm
National Park Service, Interpreting the Standards Bulletins:
Interior Alterations to School Buildings to Accommodate New Uses
www.nps.gov/hps/tps/tax/ITS/its11.pdf
Rehabilitation and Adaptive Use of Schools
www.nps.gov/hps/tps/tax/ITS/its12.pdf
Converting Historic School Buildings for Residential Use
www.nps.gov/hps/tps/tax/ITS/its20.pdf
Corridors in Historic School Buildings
www.nps.gov/hps/tps/tax/ITS/its40.pdf
Smart Growth Movement
Over the past decade, a movement that involves strategies to encourage "smart growth" has grown into a series of initiatives designed to help communities plan for and accommodate new growth in ways that preserve their economic prosperity, environmental health, and community character. In 1996, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency joined with several non-profit and government organizations to form the Smart Growth Network (SGN). The Network was formed in response to increasing community concerns about the need for new ways to encourage economic development while protecting the environment and enhancing community vitality. The Network's partners include environmental groups, historic preservation organizations, professional associations, developers, local and state government entities. For more information about the Smart Growth Network, visit www.smartgrowth.org/.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), in partnership with the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) and The Conservation Fund, has released a 134-page book intended as a tool for local governments to encourage development that makes their communities more attractive, livable, and prosperous. Better Models for Development in Pennsylvania is available to government planners, public officials, developers and interested citizens to use as a guide as they design and plan the future of their communities. To download a copy of the publication, visit www.dcnr.state.pa.us/brc/grants/2005/BetterModels.pdf.
Learn more at:
National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, Smart Growth and Schools
www.edfacilities.org/rl/smart_growth.cfm
National Trust for Historic Preservation, Smart Growth Toolkit
www.preservationnation.org/issues/smart-growth/
Green Buildings
Following the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Pennsylvania Governor's Green Government Council, new trends have emerged in structural design and rehabilitation that considers air quality, acoustics, lighting, environmental and design factors, and overall aesthetics. "Green" buildings use recycled products, install energy efficient HVAC equipment, and incorporate new additions with renewable resources. An additional 10% in state reimbursement is available for school districts through the PlanCon funding process administered by the Department of Education, for planning a new Green School Project. To view Act 46 of 2005 to learn more about incentives for high performance green schools, visit www2.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/BI/BT/2005/0/HB0628P2564.pdf (beginning on page 82, line 18).
Learn more at:
Building Green Schools Resource List. The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) is a regional membership organization focused on promoting the understanding, development, and adoption of energy conservation and non-polluting, renewable energy technologies. NESEA has compiled the Building Green Schools Resource List to connect school decision makers with helpful information when considering the integration of energy alternatives into their facilities. www.starksinc.com/Green%20Schools%20Resource%20List.pdf
U.S. Green Building Council
http://www.usgbc.org/
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Healthy School Environment Resources, Featured Pennsylvania Resources
cfpub.epa.gov/schools/top_sub.cfm?r_id=3&st_id=PA
Pennsylvania Governor's Green Government Council
http://www.gggc.state.pa.us/
