The department annually evaluates capital improvement project (CIP) grant applications that are submitted by school districts on or before September 1. Applications are ranked according to the criteria in AS 14.11 and 4 AAC 31, with initial lists released on November 5. Final lists are released after any appeals to reconsideration are finalized.
To be eligible for funding, districts must have a six-year plan, a fixed asset inventory system, adequate property loss insurance, and a preventive maintenance and facility management program certified by the department.
In 2015, the legislature placed a moratorium on new voter-approved bonds participating in the debt reimbursement program, the moratorium was extended in 2020 until July 1, 2025.
Applications and all supporting documents must be post-marked by September 1 in order to be considered during the CIP application evaluation. Application materials for the September deadline are typically adopted by the Bond Reimbursement and Grant Review Committee in April and released by the department in early May.
Six-Year Plan is a requirement for all districts submitting CIP applications. The plan may contain projects not being submitted for CIP review; the additional projects do not affect the application’s “district ranking” score and the projects are used by the department to compile the statewide six-year plan.
Request for re-use of score is available to districts that previously had an application ranked by the department. Any project ranked in the prior year may submit a re-use request if that project continues to be listed in the first year of the district’s six-year plan. Additionally, projects that had achieved substantial completion at the time of the original application may continue to request a reuse of score for an additional five years.
Supplemental: CIP Rating Materials are informative as to how CIP applications are scored.
The below materials may be used to plan particular aspects of a project, assist completion of the CIP application for certain projects, and inform formula-driven application scoring. To provide more guided assistance to the application, the department publications have been compiled into a list that references the application question where the material provides the most context; however, each publication may be applicable to more than one question or circumstance.
If there is a discrepancy between information on this page and the CIP application materials, the CIP application materials take precedence.
Previous years’ CIP priority lists.
Schools are grouped in attendance areas, which are assigned based on the criteria and process outlined in4 AAC 31.016. The student population in the attendance area, as established by the average daily membership (ADM), determines the amount of new space a school may be eligible for. See also the “Allowable Square Footage & Capacity” below.
Download the MS Excel workbook to help determine the number of unhoused students and allowable square footage for a school’s given student populations. Revised for student population data from the 2023-2024 school year for the FY2026 CIP application process.
For an alternate student population estimate method based on cohort survival ratio, please contact Facilities staff.
Planning documents assist districts in constructing compliant and beneficial educational spaces.
Selecting a site for a school addition or new facility is a serious public policy decision and has a lasting impact; the handbook discusses the basic considerations for an adequate site selection process that conforms to requirements for department approval.