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​​​​PlanCon 1.0

PlanCon prior to Act 70 of 2019 was authorized via a series of complimentary statutes and regulations.  All new PlanCon applications received after July 1, 2021 will be fall under the reauthorized version, not the historical version.

PlanCon 1.0 predicated activities will still be occurring simultaneously with new PlanCon activities established via the reauthorized version of the law.  Any projects approved via the old method must continue the reimbursement process via the 2071 reporting mechanism. 

Project refinance actions and final construction reporting, completed respectively via the PlanCon Part K and Part J process, will not occur for projects following the reauthorized version of PlanCon, but will still need to be completed for projects approved under the old version.

​​​​Description of Old Parts & Directions

  • Part A (PDF), Project Justification, provides the description of a proposed project and the justification of its need.
  • Part B (PDF), Schematic Design, is a technical review conference of the conceptual drawings, site plan and educational specifications. The architect and a district administrator who is knowledgeable about the project and the educational program must be present at the schematic design conference.
  • Part C (PDF), Site Acquisition, deals with the acquisition of land for school building projects or the purchase of a building for school or district administration office use. This part is completed only if land is acquired or a building is purchased as part of the scope of the project.
  • Part D (PDF), Project Accounting Based on Estimates, is concerned with estimated project costs. In this part, various "tests" of a district's financial ability to make payments are performed, as required by Section 21.51 of the State Board of Education Regulations. This part also addresses the requirements for public hearings on school building projects, as required by Sections 7-701.1 and 7-731 of the Public School Code of 1949, as amended. PlanCon Part D also provides an estimate of state reimbursement.
  • Part E (PDF), Design Development, is a conference to review the architectural aspects of a project when the design is fully developed. The architect and a district administrator must be present at this review conference.
  • Part F (PDF), Construction Documents, is a conference to review the bid specifications and drawings for the project and documentation that other state and local agency requirements have been met or will be met before entering into construction contracts. Departmental approval of PlanCon Part F authorizes a district to receive bids and enter into construction contracts. The architect and a district administrator must be present at this review conference.
  • Part G (PDF), Project Accounting Based on Bids, is concerned with actual construction bids. A project's eligibility for reimbursement is ultimately determined at PlanCon Part G.
  • Part H (PDF), Project Financing, addresses the financing used for a project. Calculation of the temporary reimbursable percent for a project's financing occurs at PlanCon Part H. Once PlanCon Part H is approved, reimbursement on a project commences.
  • Part I (PDF), Interim Reporting, provides for the reporting of change orders and/or supplemental contracts during construction.
  • Part J (PDF), Project Accounting Based on Final Costs, is the final accounting for the project. The permanent reimbursable percent is calculated at PlanCon Part J.
  • Part K (PDF), Project Refinancing, is used if a reimbursable bond issue is refunded, refinanced or restructured. 
  • Forms and Instructions
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Examples​

​​B​ECs

The following is a list of laws, regulations, standards and Basic Education Circulars (BEC) which pertain to the PlanCon process:

  1. Articles 7 and 25 of the Pennsylvania Public School Code of 1949;
  2. Chapter 21, School Buildings, of the State Board of Education Regulations;
  3. Chapter 349, School Building Standards, of the Department of Education Standards;
  4. BEC 24 P.S. § 25-2574, "Reimbursements for School Construction Bond Issues," provides information on state reimbursement for bond issues funding school construction projects; and
  5. BEC 24 P.S. § 7-733, "School Construction Reimbursement Criteria," contains the following requirements for reimbursable school construction projects:
  1. CURRENT STANDARDS - A condition of reimbursement is to bring the entire building up to prevailing educational and reasonably current construction standards;
  2. DISTRICT-WIDE FACILITY STUDY - A district-wide facility study for all district facilities must have been completed prior to the submission of PlanCon Part A and within two years of that date. Refer to Attachment C in the PlanCon Part A instructions for additional information on district-wide facility study requirements;
  3. WOOD CONSTRUCTION - For any project involving the renovation of a multi-storied building with a Department of Labor and Industry classification of wood frame or ordinary construction (i.e., interior framing is partially or wholly of wood), a district must describe the plans and methods designed to address the health and safety issues related to this type of construction;
  4. 20-YEAR RULE - Buildings may only qualify for school construction reimbursement every twenty years at a minimum unless a variance is requested and approved. To determine the applicability of the "20-year" rule on a project building, calculate the number of years from the bid opening date of the previous reimbursable project to the bid opening date of the planned project; and
  5. 20% RULE FOR ALTERATION COSTS - An alteration project may not be eligible for reimbursement where the costs for alterations are less than 20% of the project building's replacement value unless a variance is requested and approved. This rule does not apply to area vocational-technical schools (AVTSs) or to leased buildings.

    A request for a variance from the departmental policies in BEC 24 P.S. § 7-733, except for the "20% Rule for Alteration Costs", must be submitted in the form of a resolution of the board of school directors. A request for a variance from the "20% Rule for Alteration Costs" may be submitted on the applicable PlanCon forms in PlanCon Parts A, D and G. Any request for variance must document the reasons why the variance should be granted.  ​