- The current regulations for the School Construction Grant program are § 10-287c-1 through § 10-287c-23 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies. The current regulations are outdated; the last revisions were made in 2012, while some sections remain as they were enacted back in 1986 and 1995.
- PR2024-046 updates references to agency names, removes obsolete language and adds new sections to better articulate and more closely match the administration of the grants program, including application, plan review, reimbursement and record retention requirements.
- In addition, PR2024-046 adds a provision creating a maximum reimbursable cost per square foot.
- C.G.S. § 10-284(a)(5) requires that DAS establish a per square foot cost for schools in regulation.
- PR2024-046 incorporates the average construction costs (excluding contingencies and escalation), identified in the CT Schools Benchmarking Study Report. DAS determined that this average was a more accurate reflection of actual costs, as the Study reviewed contract costs prior to any utilization of contingencies or escalation within the projects and it was not clear that those costs were ever expended in the underlying projects.
- Under PR2024-046, costs of construction that exceed the maximum reimbursable cost per square foot would not be eligible for reimbursement.
- PR2024-046 does not change or alter the existing space standard specifications. DAS will continue to calculate the allowable square footage based on projected enrollment and grades housed in the building for projects subject to the space standard specifications, and grants for projects that exceed the specifications will be prorated following current practice.
- PR2024-046 does not change the statutorily prescribed reimbursement rates.
- The maximum reimbursable cost per square foot would apply to applications submitted on and after July 1, 2026 (i.e., 2027 Priority List and forward).
