Judge Dismisses School Suits : Santa Clarita Districts Sought to Block Development

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge Monday reaffirmed his dismissal of two lawsuits filed by three overcrowded Santa Clarita Valley school districts to block development in the rapidly growing valley.

The ruling by Judge Kurt J. Lewin is the second setback for valley schools this month. On Feb. 16, the state Supreme Court struck down a voter-approved tax on new development to build schools in the fastest growing region in Los Angeles County.

The suits were filed by the William S. Hart, Newhall and Saugus school districts against the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to challenge the approval of two major developments with more than 3,000 homes.

The districts argued that a sophisticated system created in 1987 to monitor county development bars the supervisors from approving projects that overburden schools. The districts also said the supervisors should compel developers to pay for schools.

County attorneys, however, countered that the supervisors could not force developers to pay fees exceeding those already required by a state school-financing law. That law, enacted in 1987, charges developers $1.53 per square foot of each new home they build.

On Monday, Lewin refused to reconsider his dismissal of the lawsuits Jan. 19. He did not issue an opinion, but at a hearing Jan. 18 he had said that the school districts were trying to circumvent the state financing law.

Hart Superintendent Clyde Smyth said Monday that he could not speculate on whether the districts would appeal Lewin’s ruling. The decision, however, gives new urgency to a proposal to place a school-bond measure on an upcoming ballot, Smyth said.

Trustee Discussion

The trustees of the Santa Clarita Valley’s five school districts are scheduled to discuss the proposal Thursday. District officials have predicted that they will need to build at least 13 new schools by the year 2000.

Lewin’s decision comes 12 days after the state Supreme Court let stand a state Court of Appeal ruling that voided a tax imposed on new development by valley voters in June, 1987. The appellate court said the tax, which averaged $6,300 a home, violated the state school-financing law.

The Court of Appeal also said the tax was unfair because it applied to future and not current development.