VENTURA : Schools Report Drop in Developer Fees

Revenues from developer fees decreased by about 55% in the Ventura Unified School District in the last school year compared to the previous year, officials said Tuesday.

The decline was attributed to the issuance of fewer permits for new homes, acting Assistant Supt. Joseph Richards Jr. said.

Moratoriums on new water hookups and building permits have restricted growth in the city, officials said.

A report presented to school board members at a meeting Tuesday showed that in 1990-91, the district received more than $672,000 in developer fees assessed for new residential and commercial buildings and for residential additions of more than 500 square feet.

More than $280,000 of that came from fees for 81 homes built in the city last year, the report showed.

However, during the previous year, 880 new residential units generated fees of nearly $1.1 million for the district, a 1989-90 district report shows. The total revenue from developer fees was more than $1.5 million.

Developer fees are collected by the city and distributed to the district. In Ventura, developers are assessed a fee of $1.50 per square foot for new houses or residential additions, and 25 cents per square foot for new commercial buildings.

School districts can only use developer fees for school renovations or expansion, including building new schools or buying portable buildings.

The district has about $3.1 million in its developer fee account, but no major renovations are planned pending the outcome of a proposal to change school boundaries, Richards said.