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School Impact Fees (Developer Fees)

Important Notice: Upcoming School Impact Fee (Developer Fee) Increase Effective May 11, 2026

The San Diego Unified School Board of Trustees approved an increase to Level 1 school impact fees (developer fees) on March 10, 2026, in accordance with the California State Allocation Board’s biennial adjustment.

The new fees will take effect on May 11, 2026, and are as follows:

  • Residential: $5.38 per square foot
  • Commercial: $0.87 per square foot
  • Hotel/Motel: $0.444 per square foot
  • Self-Storage: $0.025 per square foot
  • Parking Structure: $0.008 per square foot

Please note that any unpaid projects—including those already entered in Facilitron—will be subject to the new rates if payment is not received in full prior to May 11, 2026.

HOW TO PAY SCHOOL IMPACT FEES (DEVELOPER FEES)

STEP ONE: Register your project on Facilitron. Make sure to have your City of San Diego Project Number Approval Form.

STEP TWO: Project will be reviewed and verified for accuracy by San Diego Unified School District Staff.

SCHOOL IMPACT FEES (DEVELOPER FEES) CURRENT RATES through MAY 10, 2026.

The District levies the current SAB Level I fees. To confirm that your address falls within San Diego Unified School District boundaries please utilize the School Finder linked here before submitting payment or requesting a quote.

  • Residential: $5.17 per square foot
  • Commercial: $0.84 per square foot
  • Hotel/Motel: $0.427 per square foot
  • Self-Storage: $0.024 per square foot
  • Parking Structure: $0.008 per square foot

For questions, regarding determination of square footage subject to school fees, please refer to the City of San Diego's Informational Bulletin: the City of San Diego Information Bulletin 146 dated January 2022.

STEP THREE: District will email payment options to Project Contact

PAYMENT OPTIONS: 

Payment by Credit Card or E-Check (ACH) via Facilitron are subject to a platform fee.

In-Person Payment (no platform fee) - CHECKS ONLY

Hours of Operation -Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30 am-3:00 pm (closed for lunch from 12:00 pm-12:30 pm).

Real Estate Department

4860 Ruffner Street, Annex 14

San Diego, CA. 92111

619 278-6720

Check payments must be made payable to: San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) and must include an email address, phone number, and project number.

Please do not include the Facilitron platform fee.

At the time of in-person payment, our office will create and issue a Certificate of Compliance(COC), in most cases. A copy of the COC will be emailed to the Project Contact and City of San Diego DSD.

Real Estate Department

4860 Ruffner Street, Annex 14

San Diego, CA. 92111

619 278-6720

Check payments must be made payable to San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) and must include an email address, phone number, and project number.

Please do not include the Facilitron platform fee.

Once check is received, our office will create and issue a Certificate of Compliance (COC), and  a copy of COC will be emailed to the Project Contact and City of San Diego DSD.

Payment by Mail (no platform fee) - CHECKS ONLY

Demolition Credits

The required documents and application for demolition must be received by the Real Estate Office, to [email protected] before fees can be credited to the project. If the documents are received before the issuance of a COC, the credit will be applied at the time the COC is issued. If the documents are received after the COC has been issued, the district will process a check for the credit which takes about 4-5 weeks.

School Impact Fees (Developer Fees) were assessed on new construction built after January 1, 1987 (Government Code § 65995 (c)(3)). Any structure built prior to January 1, 1987, does not qualify for a demolition credit and School Impact Fees (Developer Fees) will be due on any new construction.

Refunds

School Impact Fees (Developer Fees can be refunded due to a plan change that reduces square footage, abandoned project and/or expired permit, project exemption or an incorrect fee charge. Please use the APPLICATION FOR REFUND OF SCHOOL DEVELOPER FEES form for submission.

Protest Process

If for any reason you believe you were denied a refund or demolition credit, or you disagree with the school fees you were charged, there is a Protest Process or contact [email protected].

Approved Board of Education Items and Reference Links

Government Code section 65995 and California Education Code section 17620 allows school districts to levy fees on residential or commercial/industrial construction projects within a school district's boundaries (pdf). The State Allocation Board (SAB) sets the per-square-foot Level I school impact fees (a.k.a. "developer fees") every two years at its January meeting on even years (2022, 2024, 2026, etc). Alternative School Fees (a.k.a. Level II or Level III fees) may also be collected by districts meeting certain requirements.

AR 7211 Developer Fees, Annual Developer Fee Report FY 18-19.pdf; Annual Developer Fee Report FY 19-20.pdf; Annual Developer Fee Report FY 20-21.pdf; Annual and Five-Year Developer Fee Report FY 21-22 .pdf; Annual Developer Fee Report FY 22-23 .pdf; Annual Developer Fee Report FY 23-24.pdf, Annual Developer Fee Report FY 24-25

SDUSD Five-Year Developer Fee Report

School Fee Justification Study_Oct 15 2024_BOE Nov 12 2024.pdf