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City Funding of Local School Construction In 1985, the City of Santa Aha City Council authorized a special fund o£ eight million dollars to assist the SAUSD in purchasing new sites and constructing new schools. The eiBht milli~ dollars is based upon ~l~l~ ~s and wil! b~a¢crUed, over a period of at least four years. The City acknowledged the need for this extraordinary arrangement based on the School District's desperate need for classroom space to serve the existing co~unity. This response ~as taken to mitigate impacts on the School District from expected continued residential growth in the City. The City has also established a joint-staff coumittee to work ~rlth Garden Grove District to identify alternatives to mitigate the impacts of ne~ development west of the Santa Aha River on school enrollment in that District. Tustin and Orange Districts have a very lo~ percentage of Santa Aua students and ~ith declining enrollments, overcrowding has not been an issue Traditionally, State funding mechanisms for school construction have been a major constraint because of the restrictiveness of the criteria under which districts were eligible for new facilities. Exacerbating this situation has been the complexity of local public facilities funding initiatives that have been difficult to get public approval. These constraints have led to the severe overcrowding currently experienced by the schools in the City of Santa Ana. Recent State legislation has made const:ruction funding criteria less restrictive and the implementation of the developer fee program is expected to have a significant impact on new construction funding availability. What this means for the City of Santa Aha is that there is finally the opportunity to reduce the overcrowding and subsequently to address other areas of District services to upgrade the quality of education in the comaunit¥. GOAI~ OBJ~C?IV~ A~ PROG~ As in any planning document, the goals and policies established must be supported by an implementation program that assigns responsibility and accountability for achieving the intent of the plan. In this case, achieving the following goals and objectives adopted by City Council will be the primary responsibility of the Planning Department with support and assistance provided as necessary from appropriate School District staff. Goal s Provide sufficient cultural~ recreational and educational services and facilities to meet the City of Santa Ana's educational needs. Provide a cooperative foundation with each school district in the City to ensure responses to community education and facility needs. Objectives Provide social, recreational and educational services that complement those provided by public and private schools. Provide adequate mea.sures in the City's planning process to promote adequate and appropriate school sites for new schools and/or expansion of existing schools. [¸ [