DISTRICT PONDERS FEE HIKE DEVELOPERS COULD PAY MORE TO SCHOOLS.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

LANCASTER - The Antelope Valley Union High School District wants to hike the developer fee charged home builders from about $1,000 for the typical new house to about $3,800 so it can generate more money to build schools.

The district's proposal would mark its first increase in fees above the standard amount set by the state.

Having failed to pass a $91 million school construction bond measure in November, the high school district is now qualified for state ``hardship'' funds for new school construction. However, as part of that funding program, the district must collect the maximum developer fee allowed under the law.

``What the law says is that in order to be eligible for hardship funds, you have to maximize the local revenue that's available,'' board President Bill Olenick said Monday. ``This is one way to maximize it, so it's something we really don't have any choice on.''

The board will discuss the proposed increase at its meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the district office, 44811 Sierra Highway. It already has scheduled a Nov. 15 public hearing on the plan.

School districts have the authority to increase developer fees under Proposition 1A, a state school bond measure approved in 1998, if they can show there is a need.

A consultant study indicates that the district is eligible to charge more than triple the fees currently levied on developers building new homes.

An official with the Building Industry Association's Antelope Valley chapter said she was disappointed that the district is pondering such a move, given the fact that voters will decide in November whether to lower the approval level needed for local bond measures from two-thirds majority to 55 percent.

``We were hoping they would not take this step at this time but support the cause for Proposition 39,'' said Gretchen Gutierrez, the chapter's executive director.

If the measure passes, the high school district could try again to pass another school construction bond measure, Gutierrez said.

The current developer fee set by the state is $2.05 per square foot for residential development, which in the Antelope Valley is divided between the high school and elementary school districts.

The high school district gets 26 percent - or 53 cents - and the elementary districts get the rest.

The high school district is proposing to increase its portion to $1.89 per square foot for residential construction. On a 2,000-square-foot-home, the developer fees would increase from $1,060 to $3,780.

In February, high school district trustees approved hiring a consultant, Jack Schreder and Associates, to determine if the district is eligible to collect more than the current state minimum.

The firm's study found the district could charge up to $1.89 per square foot for residential construction. The study is now available for review by the public.

The Palmdale School District earlier this year also hiked its portion of the developer fees over the statutory minimum to $2.53 a square foot to help pay for campus construction.

Developer fees are a way of ensuring that the newcomers whose children are added to local enrollments help pay some of the costs, officials said.