452.1 General Provisions

School facilities for Kindergarten through 12th grade and Group E day care shall comply with the provisions of this section and other applicable provisions of this code including requirements for specific occupancies.

All buildings housing Group E occupancies shall front directly on a public street or an exit discharge not less than 20 feet (6096 mm) in width. The exit discharge to the public street shall be a minimum 20-foot-wide (6096 mm) right-of-way, unobstructed and maintained only as access to the public street. At least one required exit shall be located on the public street or on the exit discharge.

Every room with an occupant load of 300 or more shall have one of its exits or exit-access doorways lead directly into a separate means of egress system that consists of not less than two paths of exit travel which are separated by a smoke barrier in accordance with Section 709 in such a manner to provide an atmospheric separation that precludes contamination of both paths of exit travel by the same fire. Not more than two required exits or exit-access doorways shall enter into the same means of egress system.

School grounds may be fenced and gates therein may be equipped with locks, provided that safe dispersal areas based on 3 square feet (0.28 m²) per occupant are located between the school and the fence. Such required safe dispersal areas shall not be located less than 50 feet (15 240 mm) from school buildings.

Every public and private school shall conform with Section 32020 of the Education Code which states:

The governing board of every public school district, and the governing authority of every private school, which maintains any building used for the instruction or housing of school pupils on land entirely enclosed (except for building walls) by fences of walls, shall, through cooperation with the local law enforcement and fire-protection agencies having jurisdiction of the area, make provision for the erection of gates in such fences or walls. The gates shall be of sufficient size to permit the entrance of the ambulances, police equipment and fire-fighting apparatus used by the law enforcement and fire-protection agencies. There shall be no less than one such access gate and there shall be as many such gates as needed to assure access to all major buildings and ground areas. If such gates are to be equipped with locks, the locking devices shall be designed to permit ready entrance by the use of the chain or bolt-cutting devices with which the local law enforcement and fire-protection agencies may be equipped.

Rooms used by kindergarten, first-, or second-grade pupils, and Group E day care, shall not be located above or below the first story.

Exceptions:

1. Kindergarten, first-, or second-grade pupils, or day care may be located in basements or stories having floor levels located within 4 feet (1219 mm), measured vertically, from the adjacent ground level at the level of exit discharge, provided the basement or story has exterior exit doors at that level.
2. In buildings equipped with an automatic sprinkler system throughout, rooms used for kindergarten, first- and second-grade children or for day-care purposes may be located on the second story, provided there are at least two exterior exit doors, or other egress systems complying with Section 1018 with two exits, for the exclusive use of such occupants. Egress systems for the exclusive use of such occupants shall be maintained until exit discharge at grade is attained.

3. Group E day-care facilities may be located above the first story in buildings of Type I-A, Type I-B, Type II-A and Ill-A construction, subject to the limitation of Section 503 when:

   1. 3.1. Facilities with children under the age of seven or containing more than 12 children per story shall not be located above the fourth floor; and

   2. 3.2. The entire story in which the day-care facility is located is equipped with an approved manual fire alarm and smoke-detection system. Actuation of an initiating device shall sound an audible alarm throughout the entire story.

      When a building fire alarm system is required by other provisions of this code, the alarm system shall be interconnected and sound the day-care fire alarm system; and

   3. 3.3. The day-care facility, if more than 1,000 square feet (92.9 m²) in area, is divided into at least two compartments of approximately the same size by a smoke barrier in accordance with Section 709. In addition to the requirements of Section 508, occupancy separations between daycare and other occupancies shall be constructed as smoke barriers. Door openings in the smoke barrier shall be tight fitting, with gaskets installed as required by Section 716.5.3.1 and shall be automatic closing by actuation of the fire sprinklers, fire alarm or smoke detection system; and
   4. 3.4. Each compartment formed by the smoke barrier has not less than two exits or exit-access doors, one of which is permitted to pass through the adjoining compartment, and
   5. 3.5. At least one exit or exit-access door from the day-care facility shall be into a separate means of egress with not less than two paths of exit travel, which are separated in such a manner to provide an atmospheric separation.
   6. 3.6. The building is equipped with an automatic sprinkler system throughout.

School classrooms constructed after January 1, 1990, not equipped with automatic sprinkler systems, which have metal grilles or bars on all their windows and do not have at least two exit doors within 3 feet (914 mm) of each end of the classroom opening to the exterior of the building or to a common hallway used for evacuation purposes, shall have an inside release for the grilles or bars on at least one window farthest from the exit doors. The window or windows with the inside release shall be clearly marked as emergency exits.

Class I, II or III-A flammable liquids shall not be placed, stored or used in Group E occupancies, except in approved quantities as necessary in laboratories and classrooms and for operation and maintenance as set forth in the California Fire Code.