The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is seeking quotes for consultant services to review and provide recommended updates to school capacity calculation methodology and updated capacity calculations. Considerations will include capacity assessment of school facilities, review of programs and associated space needs, and recommendations on capacity methodology/calculation following industry best practices and addressing local concerns. Upon approval by the Board of Education, methodologies will be used to update school capacity calculations utilized in SY2024-25.

As student needs and program offerings evolve, HCPSS staff must continually study, assess and calculate school capacities. School capacity ratings reflect the adequacy of a school facility to support a calculated number of students. Capacity calculations may vary in their accounting for core classroom, related arts, and ancillary support spaces.

Any changes to the methodology of school capacity calculations must be reviewed and approved by the Board to be utilized in planning processes. Space requirements, staffing ratios, and program requirements have changed since elementary, middle and high school capacity calculation methodologies were last developed and approved. The results of this project are intended to advise HCPSS staff on best practices to update school capacities and space needs for programming now, with consideration for programs to continue to evolve.

Anticipated tasks include:

• Meet with relevant HCPSS staff/team and assess current conditions / methodologies
  • Establish project timeline, steps, requirements, and goals
  • Understand current methodologies for calculation of elementary, middle and high school capacities – local and state calculation methodologies
  • Understand opportunities and challenges with existing capacity methodology
  • Understand needs for current and planned programs
  • Gather relevant data sets, including existing floor plans and room use information as needed to inform calculation of programmatic needs related to capacity.
  • Understand and adhere to data privacy requirements
  • School site visits are not anticipated. School Planning staff will provide necessary information and coordinate meetings/data requests with other HCPSS staff as needed
• Develop updated capacity calculation methodology
  • Recommend updated capacity calculation methodologies for each level that most accurately reflect the space usage and availability according to industry standards, best practices, educational adequacy, and State and local standards. Identify improvements for calculating capacity to more closely align with program needs and facility limitations
  • Conduct capacity study for a sampling of schools to assess and develop draft methodologies
  • Report on capacity adequacy / inadequacies
  • Present capacity calculation options with samples to staff
• Report on findings to include
  • Provide accurate, scaled, labeled floor plan drawings of each facility to illustrate capacity methodology
  • Recommendations on updated methods to calculate capacities
    • Identify current and planned program, capacity, office, auxiliary space needs.
    • Methods for staff to manage capacity data, ways to review and update capacities, and frequency for assessment of capacities
    • Current and recommended capacities for sample schools
  • Analyze existing school floorplans and room use to determine proposed updated capacity
  • The final report must include a narrative description explaining application of the methodology to each school
  • Make recommendations regarding near- and long-term office and special program space plans as they relate to school capacity
  • Compile data in standard formats (written reports, electronic presentations, Excel, database, CADD, etc.)
  • Attend Board of Education meeting(s) for Board presentation, work session(s), and approval of recommended methodologies. Should the Board not approve the recommendation, additional work sessions or presentations may be required.
• Potential application of methodology to more/all schools
  • Should funding and timing support, results of the assessment may lead to expansion of the project to include application of new capacity calculation method to more/all schools.
  • Provide updated capacities based on recommended methodologies
  • A report that outlines the calculation, includes a floorplan showing how spaces are considered, and any notes or narrative to explain the capacities/calculation.

The project may begin as soon as the contract is awarded and must conclude by April 19th for inclusion in the annual planning process.

If you are interested in being considered for this project, please respond to this inquiry with a letter of interest and quote that includes the following:

• Your relevant experience
• A scope of services related to this project
• Method / approach to project
• Timeline for completion of initial report (sample schools) and to apply methodology to remaining schools
• Costs to perform work (only your costs/fees for the service)
  • Itemize all costs
  • Itemize cost per assessed school (specify variation by level, if applicable)
  • Itemize cost per school to apply capacity calculation to remaining schools
  • Attendance/participation at face-to-face Board of Education Meeting(s)
• Sample of prior similar projects
• Your acceptance to execute a non-disclosure/confidentiality agreement

Direct any questions to schoolplanning@hcpss.org. Please respond with letter of interest/quote by December 18, 2023 to timothy_rogers@hcpss.org. Electronic responses only.