School Construction and Facilities (PlanCon)
When a school district undertakes a major school construction project and
seeks reimbursement from the Commonwealth, a process known as PlanCon is
initiated. PlanCon, an acronym for Planning and Construction Workbook, is a set
of forms and procedures used to apply for Commonwealth reimbursement. The forms
are designed to: (1) document a local school district's planning process; (2)
provide justification for a project to the public; (3) ascertain compliance with
state laws, regulations and standards; and (4) establish the level of state
participation in the cost of the project.
The Division of School Facilities in the Department of Education reviews
proposed school building projects including their plans and specifications,
enrollments, building utilization and building condition. The Division also
calculates state reimbursement for qualified school construction projects, and
reviews and approves the financing for reimbursable projects.
The Division is also responsible for approving reimbursement for charter
school facility leases.
PA Public School Building Construction and Reconstruction
Advisory Committee
The PA Public School Building Construction and Reconstruction
Advisory Committee was established pursuant to Act 25 of 2016 to review and
make recommendations related to the program for state reimbursement for
construction and reconstruction and lease of public school buildings. The
16-member committee includes both the Majority and Minority Chairs of the
Senate and House Appropriations and Education Committees, along with one member
appointed by: the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Minority Leader of
the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Minority Leader
of the House of Representatives. The committee also includes the Secretary of
Education, a representative of the Pennsylvania Association of School Business
Officials, a representative of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, and
a member appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker
of the House of Representatives.
View the PlanCon Advisory Committee’s Final
Report, which was issued on May 23, 2018, following a public hearing to consider the
final recommendations and report.