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HomeEducation CodeCh. 4Art. 1§ 15719 School Construction Space Limits

§ 15719 School Construction Space Limits

Education Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 15719 School Construction Space Limits

This law sets limits on how much new school space can be built per student. It says schools can't get money for new buildings if they already have enough space for their students.

Key Takeaways

  • •Schools can only get money for new buildings if they don't already have enough space for their students.
  • •The space needed per student depends on the type of school (elementary, junior high, high school).
  • •Small schools get special rules to make sure they have enough space too.
  • •Schools can't plan for too many future students—they can only guess up to two years ahead.

Example

A school district wants to build a new elementary school for 400 kids.

The law says each kid in kindergarten to 6th grade should have at least 55 square feet of space. If the new school plus the old schools give more than 55 square feet per kid, the district won't get money for the new building.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 15719 School Construction Space Limits

No apportionment shall be made for new construction which when added to the area of adequate school construction existing in the applicant school district at the time of application, will provide a total area of school building construction per pupil of the estimated enrollment in excess of that computed under the following schedule: Type of school Enrollment Square feet per pupil Elementary school comprising kindergarten and grades 1 to 6, inclusive  ........................ 300 or more 55 Elementary school comprising grades 7 and 8  ........................ 750 or more 75 Junior high school comprising grades 7 and 9, inclusive  ........................ 750 or more 75 Junior high school comprising grades 7 to 10, inclusive  ........................ 750 or more 75 High school comprising grades 7 to 12, inclusive  ........................ 750 or more 80 High school comprising grades 9 to 12, inclusive  ........................ 750 or more 80 High school comprising grades 10 to 12, inclusive  ........................ 750 or more 80 The maximum total building areas per pupil allowed to applicants having schools with smaller estimated enrollments than shown in the above schedule shall be determined by the State Department of Education, and shall be building areas to provide comparable facilities to those enumerated above, and shall be the least building area required to house adequately the estimated enrollment and the normal instructional and other services. No estimate of enrollment made by an applicant for the purpose of justifying an apportionment shall be made for a longer time than the second fiscal year beyond the fiscal year in which an application is made, and in no case shall be given effect unless approved by the State Department of Education. (Repealed and added by Stats. 1996, Ch. 277, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1997. Operative January 1, 1998.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

apportionmentnew constructionsquare feet per pupilState Department of Educationenrollment estimates

Related Statutes

  • § 15712 Unspent School Project Funds
  • § 15727 School Building Construction Requirements
  • § 15706 School Building Loan Funds
  • § 15713 School District Funding Applications
  • § 15714 School District Fund Transfers

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Education Code. Section 15719.
View Official Source