IRVINE : School Board Hikes Fees for Developers

Developer fees will rise by $1 per square foot in July under a plan approved by the school board.

The action--taken at an Irvine Board of Education meeting last week--increases development fees to $2.65 per square foot. The fees are charged when developers take out residential building permits.

The school board decision comes several months after the state Legislature authorized school districts to increase developer charges, said Paul Reed, deputy superintendent.

The building fees collected in Irvine go to the state, which in turn helps fund school construction and remodeling.

Reed said the district had little choice but to approve the measure. School districts are required to pay the state a sum that is equal to the maximum amount the districts are capable of collecting from developers.

As a result, the Irvine Unified School District was faced with the choice of either passing the $1 increase on to developers or absorbing the extra costs--something that could not be accomplished without cutting into educational program budgets, Reed added.

The state is now helping fund a $7-million expansion and remodeling of University High School. The work includes expanding the gym and building a new theater, science building and classrooms.

The new fees take effect on July 5. Commercial developer fees--now set at 27 cents per square foot--were unchanged by the board vote. Officials said that the residential developer fees generate several hundred thousands dollars per year.