Facilities Assessment Database (FAD)

What is the Facilities Assessment Database?

The FAD is a tool used to prioritize public school facilities for funding through the Public School Capital Outlay Council (PSCOC). Schools that have the greatest needs are generally prioritized with a high Weighted New Mexico Condition Index (wNMCI) score.

Its main function is to support Standards-based and Systems-based funding.

Every year a wNMCI ranked listing of all public schools is generated and used to determine applicable schools.

Capital Funding

In New Mexico, capital funding for public schools refers to funds used for acquiring, constructing, or improving school facilities like buildings and equipment, rather than for day-to-day operational expenses. These funds are a shared responsibility between the state and local school districts.

NMPSFA affords opportunities to school districts for capital funding every fiscal year. Below are documents describing the ranked positions of public school facilities throughout the State of New Mexico for this fiscal year.

How does the FAD work?

As previously stated, the FAD is a tool used to generate a score, that score (the wNMCI) is calculated by combining the building repair cost and system lifecycle analysis with the New Mexico Adequacy Standards to evaluate brick and mortar conditions, as well as its educational functionality.

The first step is determining the Facility Condition Index (FCI). The FCI is a tool used to rate buildings and how these building compare to other. By tracking needed repair cost within a school, PSFA is then able to generate a score that will be used to relatively rank each school. The FCI is a ratio of repair cost, including lifecycle renewal requirements divided by its replacement cost.

What is the New Mexico Condition Index (NMCI)?

The New Mexico Condition Index (NMCI) is calculated from the base formula for FCI, and also includes the cost to correct deficiencies based on the NM Educational Adequacy Standards.

What are the New Mexico Educational Adequacy Standards?

The state has set standards that create requirements for spaces demmed necessary for educational delivery. An Educational Adequacy (EA) Standard deficiency exists when a facility fails to meet any established State Adequacy Standards. Formulas that represent each EA Standard are programmed. Defiencies are automatically generated when the school fails to meet the EA Standards required.

What is the Weighted New Mexico Condition Index (wNMCI)?

Each deficiency is weighted in order to create prioritization for funding. Systems requiring immediate repair posing a health or safety threat will be weighted at the highest score of 3.5 to ensure that those schools get treated with the greatest priority.

Is the FAD updated frequently?

The Facilities Assessment Database is updated on a regular basis in four ways:

• By PSFA staff through on-site assessments
• By districts Facilities Master Plan vendors
• By school district officials
• As a part of the plan review process in conjunction with the state Construction Industries Division (CID) before construction

A FAD report is published yearly. The award criteria is subject to change from year to year. The FAD is commonly sorted by wNMCI from largest to smallest.

For a full presentation about the Facilities Assessment Database, and to view the formulas used to calculate schools’ ranks, click the button below.