CCSA Answers: Facilities Standards and Charter Schools
March 7, 2015
Question: Must charter school facilities comply with the school facility design, construction, and building standards that apply to school district facilities?
Answer: California law (see Education Code ยง 47610) provides that charter facilities are generally exempt from the extensive set of state public school design and construction regulations applied to school district schools by state agencies such as the Division of State Architect and the Office of Public School Construction. Charter school facilities must be built in compliance with state building code standards as implemented by city or county planning and building agencies with jurisdiction over the area in which the charter school is located.
In addition to building design and construction standards, there are other regulations that may apply to charter facilities projects, including zoning and land use regulations, as well as occupancy, permitting, and site location requirements that should be considered by charter school operators early in the site development process. To find additional information regarding the regulations that may impact your charter school facility project, please visit our website.