Edmonds School District No. 15
Lynnwood, WA 98036-5789
9631 - ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT MITIGATION
Adopted
5/8/90
Revised
9/8/93
It is the policy of Edmonds School District that the following statements shall apply concerning the mitigation of adverse environmental impacts on the district by residential development.
1. The Edmonds School District is responsible for providing public school and educational services at the elementary and secondary levels to students who reside in the district.
2. Residential development within Edmonds School District impacts the district by generating additional students that must be transported to and housed in classrooms or related facilities. Residential development within the district may require future transportation, classroom, and school housing needs not currently projected by the district.
3. Residential development adds new students to the school system for up to one year before new housing can be taxed to support the district. Traditional methods of financing student housing have proven to be ineffective during periods of rapid residential growth. Consequently, financing additional student classrooms within the current tax structure is often impossible.
4. Bond proceeds, if any currently available, have been approved by voters to fund previously identified capital needs. These proceeds are not available to fund additional student housing needs which have resulted from unforeseen residential development.
5. Transportation Vehicle Fund levy proceeds, if any currently available, have been approved by voters to fund previously identified transportation capital needs. These proceeds are not available to fund additional student transportation needs which have resulted from unforeseen residential development.
6. The State Environmental Policy Act enables jurisdictions issuing land use permits and approving land use projects to mitigate identified adverse environmental impacts, including those suffered by schools.
7. The goal of the district is to establish procedures to identify environmental
impacts adverse to the district; to identify and recommend appropriate
and reasonable mitigation measures to be imposed upon approvals given
and permits issued to those projects that adversely impact the district.
Adverse environmental impacts will be identified in reasonable detail,
and recommended mitigation measures will be tailored to eliminate or to
reduce their severity.
BOARD POLICY DIRECTIVES
The Board directs that adverse environmental impacts of residential development within the district be mitigated by recommending that the permitting authority impose appropriate conditions on approvals or permits for such development.
1. The adverse impacts that result from residential developments usually include increased numbers of school students beyond the district's capacity to provide classroom space for those students. In those cases, the district will:
a. identify the number of new students expected to result from a residential development;
b. identify the classroom space available at the time the students are expected to enroll;
c. identify the cost of providing classroom space for those students;
d. determine the length of time it will be necessary to provide excess or temporary classroom space before other space provided by traditional funding sources become available;
e. identify the transportation capital needs for the time the students are expected to enroll;
f. identify the cost of providing the transportation capital needs for those students;
g. recommend appropriate mitigation measures to be imposed as conditions on permits or approvals for the development.
2. The mitigation measures recommended and conditions imposed may include the payment of funds to be expended to mitigate the adverse impacts identified.
3. The superintendent or designee will establish procedures as necessary to implement this Environmental Impact Mitigation Policy.
4. The superintendent or designee is authorized to determine the adequacy of and to accept payments offered in conformance with this policy.