(a) The Legislature recognizes that unused schoolsites represent a potentially major source of revenue for school districts and that current law reserves a percentage of unused schoolsites for park and recreational purposes. It is therefore the intent of the Legislature to ensure that unused schoolsites not leased or purchased for park or recreational purposes pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 17485) of Chapter 4 of Part 10.5 of the Education Code can be developed to the same extent as is permitted on adjacent property. It is further the intent of the Legislature to expedite the process of zoning the property to avoid unnecessary costs and delays to the school district. However, school districts shall be charged for the administrative costs of this rezoning.
(b) If all of the public entities enumerated in Section 17489 of the Education Code decline a school district’s offer to sell or lease school property pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 17485 of Chapter 4 of Part 10.5 of the Education Code, the city or county having zoning jurisdiction over the property shall, upon request of the school district, zone the schoolsite as defined in Section 39392 of the Education Code, consistent with the provisions of the applicable general and specific plans and compatible with the uses of property surrounding the schoolsite. The schoolsite shall be given the same land use control treatment as if it were privately owned. In no event shall the city or county, prior to the school district’s sale or lease of the schoolsite, rezone the site to open-space, park or recreation, or similar designation unless the adjacent property is so zoned, or if so requested or agreed to by the school district.
(c) A rezoning effected pursuant to this section shall be subject to any applicable procedural requirements of state law or of the city or county.
(d) A school district that requests a zoning change pursuant to this section shall, in the fiscal year in which the city or county incurs costs in effecting the requested zoning change, reimburse the city or county for the actual costs incurred by it.
(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 538, Sec. 314. Effective January 1, 2007.)