Old elementary turned Religious Education Building

[cda]

For what it's worth, my understanding of the origins and intent to not call a religious use an "E" occupancy, goes back to the original intention of "Sunday School", where the parents we in a church service in the sanctuary, while the kids were in "sunday school class" in other rooms on the same campus.
If there was a fire or other emergency, the parents could go to the classrooms to help evacuate their kids.
In contrast, a regular state-mandated K-12 education puts a classroom full of kids under the sole lie-safety responsibility of one adult teacher. With that in mind, the life-safety issues of an "E" school use are different than an "A3" Sunday School occupancy.

None of this is stated in the code - - it's just anecdotes I've heard over the years as to how the code came about.

Plus if you call a real church an E now a days,,,, The cost would go way up and you might have a funny looking building

 

[Paul Sweet]

Many moons ago churches, schools, and college classroom buildings were A-4. Somewhere in the 1980s schools and colleges became E and churches were moved into A-3. Still later, I think in the mid 90s, college classrooms were moved to B.

As I recall the main differences between B and E were corridor width, guardrail height, fire alarm, and plumbing fixture counts.

 

[ADAguy]

Appearance of what "is" is what the C of O says it is.

 

[SH225]

If we are going by IBC chapter 29, plumbing fixtures depend on the actual use of the space and the occupant load. Even if classified this as a Group B occupancy, you still have either classroom or assembly occupant load.

 

[sergoodo]

If existing E occupancy, then E occupancy with classroom occupant calc. Adult function rental limited to same. A3 option would be more flexible.