An Official Pennsylvania Government Website
Translate
Begin Main Content Area

​Definitions

Act 34 Definitions

Architectural Area: The sum of the areas of several floors, including basements, mezzanine and intermediate floored tiers and penthouses of headroom height (6'6" minimum), measured from the exterior faces of exterior walls or from the center line of walls separating buildings. Paved walkways covered by a permanent roof canopy are treated as architectural area at a 50% factor. Architectural area does not include features such as pipe trenches, exterior terraces or steps, chimneys, and roof overhangs.

Scheduled Area: The sum of the areas of the rooms and spaces which are included on the room schedule forms. The general rules for measuring rooms and spaces are as follows:

  1. Measure to the surface of the walls within the room or space, to behind the cabinets, wardrobe units and the back of closets which would be comparable to cabinets.
  2. Measure to the surface of perimeter walls of spaces such as health suites, kitchen, administration/guidance, tech ed, family and consumer science, and vocational education.

New and Existing Area Determinations: For reimbursement and Act 34 of 1973 calculations, an area is considered "new" when it will have 100% new roof structure. In all other instances, an area would be considered "existing". Examples:

  1. Demolish existing structure to slab and build new structure on existing slab: Treat as "New" area
  2. Leave a gym's roof structure as-is and renovate the gym into two floor levels of classrooms: Treat each floor level as "Existing" area

Hybrid Rooms: Rooms or spaces that have both "new" and "existing" architectural area

Site Development: In general, work that is five feet beyond the project building's footprint is to be considered site development. Geothermal well fields, photovoltaic energy generation systems (ground or roof mounted), wind energy generation systems (ground or roof mounted), and green roofs are considered site development.

New and Existing Site Development Determinations: For reimbursement and Act 34 of 1973 calculations, "New" and "Existing" site development is determined as follows:

New: Any completely new feature on the site or, any existing feature that will be reconstructed on the site but at a different location, is treated as a "new" site development cost.

Existing: Any work that is limited to the repair or complete replacement of an existing site feature at the same location is treated as an "existing" site development cost.

EXAMPLES:

  1. Resurface existing parking lots and driveways: Treat as "Existing" site development cost
  2. Relocate existing tennis courts to new location: Treat as "New" site development cost.

Project Building: For Act 34 of 1973 purposes, a project building, in general, shall constitute the entire building, or buildings, on one site needed to provide the educational program for the grades housed as well as to make the building itself operational such as HVAC, electrical, roofing, sanitary sewage disposal, and plumbing systems. Examples:

  1. Elementary and middle school educational programs housed in one building, with separate building sections for each educational unit, but structurally and mechanically integrated: Treat all as one project building.
  2. Career and technology center structurally and mechanically integrated with high school: Treat all as one project building.
  3. Middle school physically connected, but educationally, structurally, and mechanically separate from high school: Treat the middle school and the high school as their own separate project buildings.
  4. Elementary school educational program housed in one building, middle school educational program housed in another building on same site, with no physical, structural, or mechanical connection: Treat the elementary school and the middle school as their own separate project buildings.
  5. Elementary school educational program housed in one building, and middle school educational program housed in another building on the same site, with no physical, structural or mechanical connection, but sharing the middle school gymnasium and library: Treat all as one project building.
  6. High school educational program housed in two or more buildings on the same site: Treat all of the buildings on that site needed for the high school educational program as one project building.

For Act 34 purposes, a natatorium (NAT) will be treated as part of a school's "project building" if an enclosed and heated internal access is provided between it and the school building. A natatorium without this type of internal access to a school building will be treated as a stand-alone school building for Act 34 purposes.

For Act 34 purposes, a district administration office (DAO) will be treated as part of a school's "project building" if an enclosed and heated internal access is provided between it and the school building. A district administration office without this type of internal access to a school building will be treated as a stand-alone school building for Act 34 purposes.

Also, at a minimum, the superintendent, business manager, and their immediate support staff must be housed in one office suite location in order for it to be treated as a district adminstration office for Act 34 purposes. Other administrative positions may or may not be housed in this office suite depending upon administrative requirements.

Examples:

  1. DAO connected to elementary school with internal access between DAO and school: Treat all as one project building.
  2. DAO to be built detached from all other school buildings on the same site: Treat the DAO as its own separate project building.
  3. NAT connected to high school with no internal access between NAT and school: Treat the NAT and the school as their own separate project buildings.
  4. NAT to be built detached from the high school, but its use attached to the high school's educational program: Treat all as one project building.

Maximum Building Construction Cost: is based solely on costs for work in the new building or costs for work in the new substantial building additions. All other costs, such as site development costs and costs for work in existing parts of the building, are excluded from this calculation.

Aggregate Building Expenditure Standard: equals the project building's Act 34 capacity total times the applicable Per Pupil Cost Limit.

Maximum building construction cost: Includes general construction, heating and ventilating, plumbing, electrical, other structural expense, fixtures and equipment, and architectural and engineering fees on these items; the maximum building construction cost does not include rough grading, necessary grouting or shoring, excavation outside the building perimeter, special foundations, access roads, costs of utilities to and on the site, curbing and walks required by local ordinance, sewage disposal, site development, site acquisition, and architectural and engineering fees on these items; the cost of fixtures and equipment is not included in the maximum building construction cost for area vocational-technical schools.

Maximum project cost—Building construction cost, plus all other costs of the project proposal including land, grading, fees, and the like.