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Board approves modest developer-fee increases and redirects McPhail sale proceeds for school facilities
Summary
San Rafael City Schoolsboard adopted a justification study that raises statutory developer-fee rates slightly and approved capital-budget adjustments that use an expected $5.9 million land-sale receipt and new fee revenue to fund school modernization and proposed all-weather fields.
The San Rafael City School Board on April 28 approved a justification study that raises statutory developer fees and accepted a package of capital-budget adjustments designed to invest anticipated land-sale proceeds and additional developer-fee revenue in campus modernization projects.
The board voted to increase elementary developer fees from $3.57 to $3.71 per square foot and high-school district fees from $1.60 to $1.67 per square foot after staff presented a Kaplan Gruber justification study and noted the State Allocation Board had raised maximum fee levels earlier this year. Board staff said the changes are modest but important to capture additional funding for capital projects amid ongoing housing development in San Rafael.
Why it matters: staff told trustees that every penny collected from developers must be dedicated to capital projects that mitigate the impacts of new housing on district facilities. The district also plans to add approximately $5.9 million in revenue to the elementary capital program from the pending sale of the McPhail site; staff proposed using those proceeds, plus the fee increase and other small matching grants, to fund several projects.
Major budget moves: the board approved a package of program adjustments with a reported net program increase of roughly $8.2 million. Notable items outlined by staff included: - Reserving proceeds from the McPhail site sale (~$5.9M estimated) for elementary capital needs. - Adding $700,000 in developer-fee revenue to the capital program pool. - Proposing three all-weather turf fields at elementary sites (concept budgets on the order of $2.5M each where significant site work is required), with Venetia Valley explicitly called out as a candidate because much of the site grading and infrastructure is in place. - Adding $750,000 to complete the Davidson Middle School MPR closeout and addressing unforeseen construction and security-related costs.
Board discussion and safeguards: trustees pressed staff on cash flow and sequencing, noting that some field projects could slip to 2028 depending on bond-sale timing and available cash. Staff highlighted that a program reserve and a board-controlled contingency remain in the capital budget to address unanticipated closeout costs.
A staff caution: project budgets for all-weather fields include substantial site-preparation costs (grading, retaining walls and drainage); staff emphasized that the largest share of cost on new fields is the initial site work, not just the turf surface.
What comes next: staff will continue project-level design and bid work, return with detailed contract awards for each project as they are ready, and reconcile actual McPhail sale proceeds at closing. The board approved the resolution authorizing the fee changes and the proposed budget adjustments by voice vote.
Sources: presentation to the board and the justification study read into the record at the April 28 meeting. No public speakers spoke against the fee proposal during the hearing.
