Kitty Moore - 3-12-2018 12-54 p.m. Enrollment and FIAENROLLMENT AND FISCAL IMPACT ANALYSIS
for the:
THE HILLS AT VALLCO
Prepared for:
The City of Cupertino
UPERTIN
Prepared by.
SCHOOLHOUSE SERVICES
Economists and Planners
(650) 373-7373
February 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS
BRIEF SUMMARY.......................................................................................1
ENROLLMENT IMPACTS.............................................................................3
The Hills at Vallco Project
Enrollment Considerations
Enrollment Impacts
Enrollment and Capacity of Cupertino District Schools
Enrollment and Capacity of Fremont Union District Schools
CAPITAL FACILITIES COST AND REVENUE IMPACTS.....................................15
Facilities Costs
Development Impact Fee Revenues
Comparison of Capital Costs and Mitigation and Volunteer Benefits
OPERATING REVENUE AND COST IMPACTS..........................................22
Operating Costs
Operating Revenues
Comparison of Operating Costs and Revenues
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SUMMARY
The proposed Hills at Vallco includes 800 relatively small apartments over ground floor retail,
including 680 market rate units, 80 below market rate (BMR) affordable rentals and 40 age -
restricted senior units. Proposed non-residential uses consist of about three million square feet of
office space and associated amenity and support uses, 650,000 square feet of retail and other
commercial space, 40,000 square feet in facilities available for civic uses, and 150,000 square
feet of civic use and infrastructure space. The name of the project reflects a 30 -acre green park
and open space roof.
The enrollment and fiscal impacts of the apartments on Cupertino Union School District (CUSD)
and Fremont Union High School District (FUHSD) are summarized below. In addition to
required mitigation, the developer has signed letters of intention (LOIs) to provide substantial
benefits to the two districts at an estimated cost of $40,000,000. Both districts have concluded
that, if these benefits are provided, the Vallco project would be of net benefit to them.
❑ Both CUSD and FUHSD have grown steadily in recent decades. However, due to
maturing households and the rapid increase in the cost of housing, CUSD enrollment is
now projected to decrease by about 400 elementary and 500 middle school students over
the next five years (prior to any significant student generation from the Vallco project).
FUHSD enrollment is expected to increase by about 600 students over the same period,
then begin to decline as smaller cohorts move up from the younger grades.
❑ The demand for housing in the CUSD and in the Cupertino High attendance area is very
high. The Hills at Vallco apartments are projected to have students per household
generation rates of 0.28 for CUSD and 0.06 for FUHSD, a total of 0.34 students per
household, though recent student counts indicate decreasing generation rates.
❑ Based on the above SGRs, an enrollment impact of 258 students is estimated as a result
of the Vallco project: 144 students in the Collins Elementary attendance area; 68 students
in the Lawson Middle attendance area, and 46 students in the current Cupertino High
attendance area.
❑ The most significant benefit included in the developer's CUSD LOI is the construction of
a new 700 student school on the Site of the former Nan Allan School, adjacent to the
Collins school. This school would provide capacity for Vallco project students and
reduce enrollment pressures on Collins and the schools north and east of Collins.
❑ The recent addition of 21 classrooms at Lawson Middle School brings its capacity up to
about 1,500 students, significantly above its Fall 2015 enrollment of 1,249 students.
Enrollment in the 2018-19 school year is projected to be at the same level, allowing room
for the Vallco project students.
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❑ The recent addition of 12 classrooms at Cupertino High School increases capacity
approximately equal to the 300 student projected enrollment growth in Cupertino High's
current attendance area. Lynbrook High, whose attendance area borders Cupertino's on
the south, is projected to experience a decline of about 240 students in the next five years.
The district recently allowed students from Miller Middle School, in the current
Cupertino School attendance area, to attend Lynbrook and established a district -wide
citizens advisory committee "to study the enrollment needs of the district...."
❑ The developer's LOI to FUHSD provides for a 10,000 square foot "Innovator Space" for
34 years in the Vallco project. The district sees this space as a unique opportunity to help
students relate their classes at the comprehensive schools to the tech activities of Silicon
Valley.
❑ For both districts one-time development fee revenue from The Hills at Vallco project is
anticipated to be significantly less than the share of school facilities costs attributable to
the project, consistent with the intent of the state -set limits on fees. However, the
magnitude of the costs of the benefits to be voluntarily provided by the developer are a
multiple of the costs of full mitigation of the project's impacts.
❑ The share of CUSD annual operational costs attributable to the Vallco project are
anticipated to be approximately equal to operational revenue from the project due to the
developer's commitment to pay in lieu parcel taxes on the market rate apartments.
❑ In contrast, FUHSD operational revenues from the project will exceed operational costs
attributable to the project by a large amount, about $109,000 per student. The result is a
projected annual surplus of about $5.0 million for FUHSD.
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I. ENROLLMENT IMPACTS
The Hills at Vallco Project
The City of Cupertino has contracted with Schoolhouse Services to conduct an analysis of the
enrollment and fiscal impacts of the proposed The Hills at Vallco project (also referred to as the
Vallco project in this report) on the Cupertino Union School District and the Fremont Union
High School District. The land -owner, Vallco Property Owner, LLC, and the developer and
applicant, Sand Hill Property Company, are seeking approval for the project on the site of the
Vallco Shopping Center on Wolfe Road at its intersection with the Interstate 280 freeway. The
developer envisions the project to be a center of community activity, with a variety of activities
situated around two town squares, one on each side of Wolfe Road with a connecting overpass.
The name, The Hills at Vallco, refers to the sloping roof design that presents a 30 acre green
environment, with parkland and open space, to viewers outside of the project.
On-site Components
The residential component of the proposed new development consists of 800 apartments over
ground floor retail, which would include 680 market rate units, 80 below market rate (BMR)
affordable rentals and 40 age -restricted senior units. Sixty percent of the units are studio and
one -bedroom units. The apartments are relatively small, the interiors averaging only 800 square
feet in size. Amenity uses including a clubhouse/fitness pavilion are associated with the
residences.
Proposed non-residential uses consist of about 2.3 million square feet of office space and
associated amenity and support uses, 650,000 square feet of retail and other commercial space,
40,000 square feet in facilities available for civic uses, and 110,000 square feet of support
infrastructure area. The commercial space is required to include 420,000 square feet of
restaurants and similar uses by the city's General Plan and the theatre, bowling alley and ice rink
are being retained. The land uses are listed in more detail in Table I-1 below.
The 30 -acre roof supporting playgrounds and green open space is a distinguishing feature of the
development. It is planned to include 3.8 miles of walking/hiking trails, bike paths, children's
play areas, and gardens and vineyards; the majority of the area will be green open space.
Parking is planned for 9,175 vehicles, the large majority of it in underground structures. The
project requires the demolition of approximately 1,200,000 square feet of existing retail space as
well as associated parking garages.
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Table I-1
The Hills at Vallco Project
Non-residential
Units
Square Feet
Apartments
Office Support]
345,000
Non -senior Units
680
723,100
Senior Units
80
38,700
Non -living Space
40
38,200
Residential Total
800
800,000
Non-residential
Office
2,000,000
Office Support]
345,000
Commercial/Retai12
420,000
Commercial/Entertainment'
180,000
Commercial/Other4
50,000
Civics
40,000
Residential Amenity
25,000
Support Infrastructure6
110,000
Non-residential Total 3,170,000
I Includes testing and workshop area, conference hall, cafeteria and fitness
2 Retail and restaurants
3 Theatre, ice rink, and bowling alley
4 Fitness
5 Community meeting space, high school innovation center, and transit center
6 Loading, facility, and security areas and central plant
Source: Sand Hill Property Company
School District Benefits
The project is located within the school district service areas of Cupertino Union Elementary
School District (CUSD or Cupertino District) and Fremont Union High School District (FUHSD
or Fremont District). It is located within the Collins Elementary School and the Lawson Middle
School attendance areas, both part of CUSD. The project is in the Cupertino High School
attendance area within the FUHSD.
State law specifies that a school district can only require payment of state authorized fees to
mitigate school impacts. For the Hills at Vallco, the developer has voluntarily proposed funding
for specific facilities and program improvements beyond its obligations under state law.
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Discussions with the two districts on their facility needs have resulted in Letters of Intent (LOIS)
signed by Sand Hill Property and the school districts to address district needs.
The improvements proposed in these LOIS are substantial; the developer estimates their cost at
more than $40 million. The benefits have also been evaluated below in this report as part of the
school enrollment and fiscal impacts on the two districts.
The Letter of Intent to the Cupertino Union School District provides for the following benefits.
■ The construction of a new school on the former Nan Allan School site. This is a small
site on the Portal Avenue side of the Collins campus. The site currently houses district
administrative facilities and a small pre-school; these activities would be moved
elsewhere. By using multi -story buildings, the site will accommodate a school for 700
students.
■ The developer is committing to replacing the relocatables that are part of Collins School
with new two-story classrooms. This will also result in more ground space being
available.
■ The LOI commits the developer to improving the Collins playground, a large portion of
which is currently unusable.
■ The creation of a $1,000,000 quasi endowment fund to support the Yosemite Science
Program for eighth grade students.
■ Sand Hill Property had agreed to remain subject to payment of statutory development
fees on the Vallco project construction, generating funds to CUSD's capital account.
Sand Hill has also committed that in lieu parcel tax payments would be made for the non -
senior market rate apartments, as though they were separate parcels rather than a single
parcel, per current taxes and parcel taxes as authorized in the future.
The provision of the new Nan Allan School is particularly important to CUSD. It has long seen
the need another school in the northern portion of the district and, while it would ideally be
located north of Interstate 280, located at the Collins campus it does provide additional capacity
in the larger northern portion of the district.
Sand Hill Property has executed a similar LOI to the Fremont Union High School District. It
focuses on the following.
■
Anew 10,000 square foot, turn -key Innovation Center within the project for the FHUSD,
with a lease with rent of $1 per year for a term of 34 years. The Center could be used by
students for the following:
o Student led business incubator
o Work -based learning initiatives hub
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o Robotics team competition arena
o Multi -disciplinary student maker creativity brainstorming and prototyping space
o Centrally located classroom for students from all five campuses within the district
o Performance space
o Exhibition space
0
As with CUSD, Sand Hill Property had agreed to remain subject to payment of statutory
development fees on the Vallco project construction and also committed that in lieu
parcel tax payments would be made for the non -senior market rate apartments, as though
they were separate parcels rather than a single parcel, per current taxes and parcel taxes
as authorized in the future.
The stated intention of the Vallco developer is to provide resources to CUSD and FUHSD
substantially in excess of the development fee mitigation required by state law. CUSD and
FUHSD have expressed the view that the LOIs do provide significant benefits in addition to the
fee revenues, and in so doing more than mitigate the impacts of the project.
Enrollment Considerations
A projection of new student enrollment resulting from The Vallco Hills project is necessary for
identification of the potential impact of the proposed development on the impacted schools.
Student generation rates (SGRs), the average number of students per new housing unit, are the
key factor for the projection of enrollment into the future. Multiplying the number of new units
by an appropriate SGR results in a projection of students from the units.
Different housing types generate different SGRs. Single family detached units with private yards
usually generate the most students, typically approximately two to three times the number of
students generated by most apartment units and condominiums. Within the range of apartments
and condominiums, however, student generation can vary significantly, with the sizes and the
design and marketing of the units being major factors. The majority of apartments and
condominiums are not designed for families. Most of these units are smaller than single family
homes, ranging from studio and loft units to predominantly one and two-bedroom units. They
are usually in multi -story buildings and lack private yards. However, if located in a highly rated
school district and especially if they are in a family -friendly setting, relatively large apartments
and condominiums can generate almost as many students as single family detached units.
SGRs of Recent Residential Development in Cupertino
Enrollment Projection Consultants (EPC) has been the demographer for both the Cupertino
District (elementary and middle schools) and the Fremont District (high school) for many years.
As part of its work the firm determines student generation (counts the number of students) for a
large number of relatively new housing units of various housing types. The student generation
rate (SGR) for a given type of homes is the number of students counted divided by the number of
units generating those students. The SGRs are then multiplied by the number of projected new
units of each housing type to project future enrollment from new housing.
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The EPC surveys are the logical place to start in estimating the SGRs for The Hills project. The
most recent survey covered 585 units in multi -family buildings, mostly apartments but also
including some condominiums, built in the last few years. While, one and two-bedroom units
dominate the sample, it also includes some studios and some larger units. A few low-rise multi-
family buildings with generally larger units and/or that appear to be designed to accommodate
families are not included in this sample; they have been grouped with single family homes in a
separate 294 unit sample for EPC's analysis.
The survey by Enrollment Projection Consultants found an average SGR for the CUSD
(kindergarten through eighth grade) of 0.33 students per multi -family residential unit, or
approximately one student in every three homes. The average high school SGR for the
Cupertino District portion of FUHSD was 0.09 per unit in multi -family buildings. (This is more
than four times the 0.02 high school SGR in the remainder of the Fremont District.) These rates
include some below market rate (BMR) units in the buildings, but not buildings devoted entirely
to BMR units.
Tables I-2 and I-3 summarize the SGR findings for both CUSD and FUHSD for the residential
projects analyzed. (The SGRs for single family units are included for reference only since no
single family units have been proposed for the Vallco development.)
Table I-2
Average SGRs by Housing Type
Cupertino Union School District
Housing Type Average SGR
Most Apartments and Condominiums 0.33
Single Family Detached Units* 0.57
*Includes a few family friendly apartments and condominiums
Source: Enrollment Projection Consultants.
Table I-3
Average SGRs by Housing Type
Fremont Union High School District*
Housing Type Average SGR
Most Apartments and Condominiums 0.09
Single Family Detached Units** 0.24
City of Cupertino portion of FUHSD
**Includes a few family friendly apartments and condominiums
Source: Enrollment Projection Consultants.
The Hills at Vallco project units will be in some ways different from many of the buildings
included in these averages; this suggests that SGRs of buildings with specific similarities to the
project would be relevant. The "19800" apartments, also known as the "Rosebowl", are adjacent
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to the proposed project site. As of Fall 2015, 184 units (out of 204) had been rented. These units
have 60 CUSD students, an SGR of 0.33, and 13 FUHSD students, an SGR of 0.07. It should be
noted that these units are on average significantly larger than the proposed units in The Hills at
Vallco project, indicating that the Rosebowl SGRs are likely to be higher than those of the units
in the Vallco project.
The 80 new units in the Biltmore apartments, nearby along Stevens Creek Blvd., have
significantly lower SGRs - 12 CUSD students, an SGR of 0. 15, and three FUHSD students, an
SGR of 0.04. These SGRs are surprisingly low, especially given that the units are modestly
larger than the proposed units in the Vallco project. These two are the only large projects that
have been renting in the last 18 months. Table I-4 shows other developments and their SGRs.
Table I-4
SGRs in Comparable Developments
Development Unit Number of CUSD SGR FUHSD SGR
Characteristics Units
much larger
19800/Rosebowl apartments' 184' 0.33 0.07
larger
Biltmore Addition apartments2 80 0.15 0.04
Earlier Apartments' high density 828 0.32 0.07
I Number and average size of units: 165 2 -bedroom, 1,310 sq. ft; and 39 3 -bedroom, 1,573 sq.ft. Only
184 units occupied at the time of the Fall 2015 student counts.
2 Number and average size of units: 341 -bed -room, 813 sq. ft., 46 2 -bedroom, 1,212,sq. ft.
3 SGRs in 2013, when the units were significantly more affordable.
Sources: Enrollment Projection Consultants, City of Cupertino, and Schoolhouse Services.
Finally, four earlier large apartment projects (built 1995 to 2000) provide a large, but not as
recent, sample of 828 rental units. The CUSD SGRs for these projects in 2013 were 0.25 for
grades K-5 and 0.07 for grades 6-8, a total of 0.32. The FUHSD SGR for grades 9-12 was 0.07.
It should be noted that the rents were considerably more affordable when the tenants rented these
units and it not likely that their rents had escalated to the level of new units constructed in the
few years prior to 2013. The district -wide sample of recent multi -family buildings that year had
a CUSD SGR of 0.35 and a FUHSD SGR of 0. 12, the high school SGR in particular being
almost double the SGR of the larger projects. These comparisons from the larger, but older
survey, support the conclusion that SGRs in large multi -family projects are lower than the SGRs
of all multi -family units in the survey.
The Hills at Vallco SGRs
We know from our many studies that certain characteristics are often associated with adult
oriented complexes (and hence few students). These include:
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■ The units have more studios and one bedroom units than units with two or three
bedrooms;
■ The units are small, in particular lacking larger kitchen/family eating areas;
■ Though small, the apartments are expensive; families can usually get more for their
money in older buildings and alternative locations;
■ They tend to be in taller buildings, with a minimal number of the units at ground level;
■ They are not in a residential environment; apartments situated in the midst of an urban
commercial environment are more likely to appeal to adults than to families with
children.
■ They lack yards with limited access and play structures for pre-school children, and lack
lawns in the complex for the play of elementary school-age children;
■ There is no more than one assigned parking space per unit;
■ They are marketed for their sophisticated adult life style;
■ To make living at such a high density attractive, they include features such as physical
fitness centers, party lounges, business centers, gated entrances, etc., all oriented to adult
preferences, but adding to the price. They do not include child care facilities.
The proposed apartments within the project will generally match the characteristics listed. They
will be four to seven stories tall; the ground floors will be commercial. The units are small,
averaging about 800 square feet within each unit. Amenity features in the complex, e.g. a fitness
center, will be oriented to the preferences of young, working adults but not so much to families
with young children. The roofs will be designed to provide recreational space, the only factor
appearing to make the units attractive to families with children.
Most important, they will be expensive. The market for apartments is a primary consideration.
The wild success of technology (including internet) firms, many of them young companies, has
created a demand for young engineers and entrepreneurs, with relatively large salaries as a result.
The housing supply is inadequate and rents have escalated tremendously. Many of these tech
employees can afford the high rents, though many have to double up to do so, two people sharing
a two-bedroom unit, each having his/her own room. It has become very difficult for young
families to compete for two- and three-bedroom apartments in the heart of Silicon Valley.
For the above reasons the projected Vallco SGRs are below the average SGRs from EPC's
survey of recently added multi -family housing. This is consistent with the survey of 800+ earlier
units that demonstrated that smaller units in large relatively high-rise buildings have lower
student generation than the average for all multi -family buildings. The recently rented 19800
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(Rosebowl) units provide a very relevant comparable, though some adjustments have to be made
due to the smaller units in the proposed project. The new units at the Biltmore, also recently
rented, indicate the potential for markedly lower SGRs.
In summary, our perspective is that The Hills at Vallco SGRs are likely to be modestly below the
average of the large sample of recent multi -family projects and between the Rosebowl SGRs and
those of the Biltmore units. The low Biltmore SGRs indicate that the SGRs used here could be
high, but they are deliberately chosen to be conservative. For the proposed apartments for
purposes of this analysis, a 0.19 SGR for elementary school and a 0.09 SGR for middle school,
for a total CUSD SGR of 0.28, and a 0.06 SGR for FUHSD are used, based on the reasons
identified above. These assumptions were checked by development of a scenario of sub-SGRs
for each size unit, from studios to 3 -bedroom units, fitting the project SGRs. Table 1-5 above
shows the project SGRs by grade level for CUSD and FUHSD.
Table I-5
Vallco Development
Projected SGRs
Source: Schoolhouse Services.
Enrollment Impacts
With appropriate SGRs we can proceed with the calculation of the enrollment generated from the
760 non -senior apartments. (The number of students generated by the 80 senior units will
presumably be negligible. It should also be remembered that the SGRs analyzed above and those
chosen for the Vallco project include a proportion of BMR units.) We can also assess the impact
of that development on the current enrollment at the impacted schools, which the districts expect
to be at the Collins/Nan Allan Elementary campus, Lawson Middle, and Cupertino High. Table
I-6 shows the calculated student enrollment impact resulting from the project three to ten years
after construction of the units.
Table I-6
Estimated Enrollment Impact*
Elementary Middle
Vallco
Project
Elementary (K-5) SGR
Middle (6-8) SGR
0.19
0.09
Total CUSD SGR
0.28
High School (FUHSD) SGR
0.06
Source: Schoolhouse Services.
Enrollment Impacts
With appropriate SGRs we can proceed with the calculation of the enrollment generated from the
760 non -senior apartments. (The number of students generated by the 80 senior units will
presumably be negligible. It should also be remembered that the SGRs analyzed above and those
chosen for the Vallco project include a proportion of BMR units.) We can also assess the impact
of that development on the current enrollment at the impacted schools, which the districts expect
to be at the Collins/Nan Allan Elementary campus, Lawson Middle, and Cupertino High. Table
I-6 shows the calculated student enrollment impact resulting from the project three to ten years
after construction of the units.
Table I-6
Estimated Enrollment Impact*
Elementary Middle
High
Total
Apartments 760 760
SGR 0.19 0.09
760
0.06
760
0.34
Students Subtotal 144 68
46
258
* Three to ten years after construction of the units.
Source: Schoolhouse Services.
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Given the assumptions described above, the Hills at Vallco development is projected to generate
approximately 258 students . It is anticipated that the 144 K-5 students projected will be in the
current Collins/Nan Allan Elementary attendance area. Sixty eight students will be attending
Lawson Middle School, and 46 students will be attending Cupertino High School, perhaps in the
time period 2025-2030.
These estimates are reasonable for the proposed units. However, many characteristics of the
units are unknown and the market is uncertain; the actual enrollment generated could vary
moderately up or down from these numbers, especially since we are talking about perhaps 10
years and further into the future. We suggest that the forecast be considered as being a total of
200 to 300 students; given the intention that the projections be conservative, there is more
potential for enrollment being below 258 students than above.
Enrollment and Capacity of Cupertino Union District Schools
District -wide Enrollment
A discussion of the capacity of schools needs to start with a consideration of capacity versus
enrollment of the district as a whole. Cupertino Union has been a rapidly growing school
district. Enrollment has increased almost every year, going from 15,571 in the fall of 2001 to
18,924 in the Fall of 2015, an increase of more than 20% accommodated without additional
schools in the District. This has overcrowded many of schools, particularly in the northern and
northeastern portions of the District. Many of the schools are housing far more students than
their design capacity, primarily by adding modular classrooms and, more recently, two story
classroom buildings. School classroom support facilities - cafeteria/general purpose spaces,
administrative offices, support classrooms for music/art or for students with targeted needs,
playground space and facilities, etc. - are over -crowded in some schools.
A different enrollment trend is now projected for the next five years. The Enrollment Projection
Consultants (EPC) Fall 2015 study projects a decline of over 900 students district -wide over this
period. Two main factors appear to be responsible for this decline. One is a long understood and
anticipated maturation of households whose students are graduating and moving on. This
process has been ongoing over the last decade, particularly in the southern half of the district, but
the resulting loss of students was in the past more than compensated for by the growth in young
families in the northern portion of the district.
The other factor causing a loss of students is relatively new. Rapidly rising rents are resulting in
young families being priced out of the district. Rising home prices are also making it much more
difficult for young families to move into the district, though they do not price out existing
homeowners and thus have less effect than on renters. Many of the households with the financial
resources to move into the district are young tech employees, many not yet married and
relatively few with school age children. EPC sees this factor continuing to reduce enrollment
over the next five years.
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This is the first year in many that the EPC report has not forecast growth beyond the five-year
period. This reflects the firm's uncertainties about the longer term picture. In particular, in the
long term the young tech workers will be older; a decade from now, many will be married and
with children in the household. Additionally, rising values could lead to more home sales by
older households in the district, with the buyers being tech employee households, including
workers who currently choose to live in San Francisco because of its more urban life style, but
with school-age children will likely come to prefer a more suburban environment with good
schools. How these factors will balance out is difficult to predict.
Elementary Schools
Against the district -wide overall picture, attention must be given to (1) what is happening in the
elementary schools compared to the middle schools and (2) the differences in the various parts of
the district. A decline in elementary enrollment over the next five years, reflecting the large
number of maturing households, has been projected by EPC in previous reports. The current
report adds awareness of the smaller number of young families due to housing affordability
issues. It projects that over the next five years elementary enrollment will decline by almost 400
students, a three percent decline from 12,362 students to 11,964 students. The decline would be
even greater except for EPC's projected increase of 900 housing units (including an estimate of
only 50 units from the Vallco project).
The rate of decline will not be the same throughout the district, differing among three areas of
the district. The majority of the schools north and northeast of I-280 will still be experiencing
some growth worsening already serious capacity problems. Schools in the central area lying
below I-280 and Bollinger Road (Collins, Garden Gate, Eaton and Sedgwick) overall are
crowded, though not to the extent of the northern schools. These central area schools are now
beginning to experience decreases in enrollment. The schools in the southern portion of the
district have already passed their peak enrollment and have a continued decline projected in the
future.
Wolfe Road is the dividing line between the Collins and Eisenhower attendance areas. While the
proposed project encompasses property on both the east and west sides of Wolfe Road, the
residential portion of the development is limited to the property located on the west side of
Wolfe Road. In any case, CUSD anticipates that the students generated by the project would be
assigned to the Collins/Nan Allan campus and Lawson Middle School attendance areas.
The relationship between a school's enrollment and the count of students residing in the school's
attendance area needs to be explained.
■ The Cupertino District has developed programs and magnet schools that are located at
campuses with available capacity, generally schools in the south part of the district;
CLIP, the Chinese Language Immersion Program, is an example. Many students
participating in the program are drawn from attendance areas in the northern/northeastern
and central tiers of the district, lessening the pressure on these overcrowded schools.
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Special Day Class (SDC) programs are located in the southern schools, again drawing
some students from the more crowded schools.
■ There are situations in which students are directed to a school in a nearby attendance
area, shifting enrollment south and lessening the pressure on the over -crowded schools.
All of these practices have some inherent disadvantage, but it is a more favorable resolution than
either having the northern schools even more crowded or having fewer voluntary choices of
schools.
Collins Elementary currently has only 36 more students residing within its attendance area than
attending the school, making it approximately in balance when the factors in the preceding list
are considered. Looking ahead, the number of students residing in its attendance area is
projected to decline by 49 students over the next three years.
District staff considers that Collins Elementary School has a maximum capacity of about 700
students. However, this assumes that all rooms are continually utilized and additional academic
support space would be desirable. The staff considers about 600 students to be a more
effectively managed school size.
Fall 2015 enrollment at Collins Elementary School is 719 students; the projected decline of 49
students residing in the attendance area will reduce enrollment by the year 2019 to 670 students.
This reduces the severe overcrowding, but leaves no room to accommodate the 144 students
projected from the Hills at Vallco project. As described earlier the developer, working with
CUSD, has agreed in the LOI on the voluntary construction of a new school at the site of the
former Nan Allan School to add capacity for 700 students. The construction of this school
would accommodate all the elementary students from the Vallco project, allow for reduction of
enrollment at Collins to a desirable level, and accommodate some students from Stocklmeir and
other crowded schools.
Middle Schools
Growing enrollment in the school district was until recently threatening to overwhelm the
capacity of CUSD middle schools. Enrollment reached 6,562 students in the Fall 2015 counts
while the General Plan Housing Element study calculated capacity at desirable educational
standards at a much lower figure. However, since that study proceeds from a bond issue have
allowed the district to complete several projects that add enrollment capacity.
The most important is the relocation of CUSD offices to office space on Mary Avenue in
Sunnyvale, freeing up the site adjacent to Lawson Middle School to add 12 classrooms, bringing
capacity up to about 1,500 students. Classrooms added to the Cupertino Middle School also
brought capacity up to that level.
Schoolhouse Services 13 February 2016
The Hills at Vallco Enrollment and Fiscal Impact Analysis
The decline in enrollment in the K-5 elementary schools, which is already underway, is projected
to begin soon in the middle school grades. EPC is expecting a decrease of about 500 students
between now and the Fall of 2020, the majority showing in lower counts in the fourth and fifth
years (2019 and 2020). However, the decline of students living in the Lawson Middle School
attendance area is projected to be relatively modest.
Lawson Middle School had a Fall 2015 student enrollment of 1,249 students, about 250 students
below it capacity. This enrollment includes 60 more than the 1,189 CUSD students residing
within its attendance area. These intra -district students include students from the adjacent
Cupertino and Kennedy attendance areas, these being the largest schools in the district.
Enrollment and Capacity of Fremont Union High School District Schools
The Fremont Union High School District had a Fall 2015 enrollment of 10,683 students, with all
but 37 of them attending its five comprehensive high schools. This is an increase of about 800
students over the last decade. Enrollment Projection Consultants projects that this pattern will
continue over the next five years with a further increase of 625 students over this period,
bringing enrollment to about 11,300, an increase of about six percent. This increase is due to the
larger cohorts already in the older elementary school grades and middle school grades entering
the high schools. EPC has not made quantitative forecasts past that point, but it is expected that
the decreases projected over the next five years in its feeder districts will begin to be reflected in
FUHSD enrollment as the smaller feeder district cohorts move into the high school grades.
FUHSD staff has just completed draft calculations of enrollment capacity of district schools in
the 2016-17 school year. Assuming moderate compromises in order to maximize capacity, the
enrollment capacity of these five schools is determined to be 11,095 students. In other words,
the district's current capacity is more than its current enrollment, but a little less than its expected
coming peak enrollment.
Cupertino High School had a Fall 2015 enrollment of 2,233 students. EPC projects the increase
of students residing in its attendance area over the next five years at 312 students, about half of
the district's growth. Staff estimates Cupertino High School's capacity at 2,268 students. This is
adequate for current enrollment, but not for the expected increase.
The Lynbrook High School attendance lies south of Cupertino's attendance area. Lynbrook had
a Fall 2015 enrollment of 1,767 students, with a projected decline of 243 students living in its
area over the next five years. Lynbrook's calculated capacity is 1,803 students, ideal for current
enrollment but significantly greater than projected enrollment. The Board acted in January 2016
to allow students from Miller Middle School to choose to enroll at Lynbrook and appointed a
committee to study options for changes in district attendance assignment policies.
Schoolhouse Services 14 February 2016
II. CAPITAL FACILITIES COST AND REVENUE IMPACTS
This section of the report addresses the cost of accommodating students from Vallco and
compares the cost with the development fees the project will generate and with the cost of the
proposed voluntary supplemental benefits. As with the consideration of enrollment impact,
mitigation, and voluntary benefits, both one-time capital and annual operating fiscal impact
projections cannot be precise. This is generally the case in predicting the effects of development
on schools, but is particularly so in this case where the full impacts will not be felt until a decade
or more in the future. Nevertheless, in this case, the estimates present a relatively clear picture.
Facilities Costs
Elementary and Middle School Costs
The analysis of elementary school capacity above shows that about 144 additional students
generated by The Hills at Vallco project would be generated within the Collins Elementary
School attendance area. Even if Collins were to remain stressed from more students than it was
designed for, it could not accommodate these students. This is the primary CUSD need
addressed in the benefits to which the developer is committing. The cost of additional capacity if
the district builds capacity for the Vallco project elementary students offers financial perspective
on the impact and perspective on the benefit if the developer constructs Nan Allan School.
On the middle school level, because of the recent construction bringing capacity at Lawson up to
1,500 students, the district can accommodate the 68 projected additional students from the
Vallco project at the school. In effect, a portion of the debt incurred to build the Lawson
addition, that attributable to space for 68 students, is the cost impact of the Vallco project.
Table II -1 shows the cost impact of the Hills at Vallco project generated students on the
Cupertino Union School District.
Table II -1
The Hills at Vallco Cost Impact
Elementary and Middle Schools
Elementary School
Number of Students
144
Cost per Student
$29,780
Cost Impact
$4,288,320
Middle School
Number of Students
68
Cost per Student
$32,640
Cost Impact
$2,219,520
Total CUSD
$6,507,840
Sources: City of Cupertino Housing Element and Schoolhouse Services.
Schoolhouse Services 15 February 2016
The Hills at Vallco Enrollment and Fiscal Impact Analysis
The costs in Table II -1 are from the June 2014 study of school impacts for the City of Cupertino
Housing Element of the General Plan. The report determined CUSD's cost of providing
additional capacity in multi -story buildings at $29,780 per elementary student and $32,640 per
middle school student based on recent district projects; these costs are conservatively used here
as current costs. (It should be understood that, unless noted otherwise, all cost and revenue
figures are expressed in January 2016 constant dollars.) The building cost is relatively high
because it is based on multi -story buildings constructed on a constrained site. However, it does
not include any land acquisition costs.
Hijzh School Costs
The General Plan Housing Element study (June 2014) determined that the cost for additional
high school capacity based on FUHSD recent projects was $69,600; again this figure is
conservatively used as a current cost. The building cost is relatively high because it is based on
multi -story buildings constructed in a constrained site, but it does not include any land
acquisition costs.
It is not known whether FUHSD would incur future costs of new capacity to have the capacity to
accommodate students from the Vallco project. The advisory committee and the board will be
considering various attendance options. But the cost impact of the Vallco project students on the
district can, similar to the situation with the middle schools, be seen as a share of the cost of
recent improvements that have added to the district's enrollment capacity, or perhaps the cost of
future improvements. In either case, the magnitude of the cost can be estimated as the cost cited
in the General Plan Housing Study report. Table II -2 shows the cost impact of the Hills at
Vallco project generated students on the FHUSD.
Table II -2
The Hills at Vallco Cost Impact
High Schools
Sources: City of Cupertino Housing Element and Schoolhouse Services.
Schoolhouse Services 16 February 2016
High School
Number of Students
46
Cost per Student
$69,600
Cost Impact
$3,201,600
Total FHUSD
$3,201,600
Sources: City of Cupertino Housing Element and Schoolhouse Services.
Schoolhouse Services 16 February 2016
The Hills at Vallco Enrollment and Fiscal Impact Analysis
Table II -3 shows the cost impact of the Hills at Vallco project generated students on both
Cupertino and Fremont Union Districts.
Table II -3
The Hills at Vallco Cost Impact
Cupertino and Fremont Union Districts
Total CUSD $6,507,840
Total FHUSD $3,201,600
Total Cost Impact $9,709,440
Development Impact Fee Revenues
A school district adding a significant number of students usually needs to incur one-time upfront
costs for capital facilities to house the students. California law provides for fees on residential
and non-residential development, usually paid at the time a building permit is issued. The
maximum fee amounts were originally conceived of as providing one-half of the cost of facilities
to accommodate additional students, though they typically fall short of this share.
The initial fees authorized by state legislation, effective beginning in 1987, are set forth in
Education Code Section 17620(a)(1), "The governing board of any school district is authorized
to levy a fee, charge, dedication or other requirement against any construction project ... for the
purpose of funding the construction or reconstruction of school facilities ...." Even more
critically, the section states "A city or county ... shall not issue a building permit for any
construction absent certification by the appropriate school district that any fee ... levied by the
governing board of that school district has been complied with, ...."
The imposition of these fees, now usually referred to as Level 1 fees, is subject to statutorily
prescribed rules. One rule limits the fees to maximum amounts, adjusted biennially for inflation.
The fee for residential development was increased in January 2016 to $3.39 per square foot. Fees
can also usually be levied on non-residential development because of the role of employment in
causing a need for residences where employees and their children live. The recently adjusted fee
for commercial/industrial (C/I) buildings, which includes almost all private non-residential
development, is $0.55 per square foot.
A minority of school districts in the state are eligible, based on factors such as overcrowding and
debt, to levy higher residential fees, referred to as Level 2 and Level 3 fees. Few of the districts
in the Cupertino area are eligible to levy these fees; neither CUSD or FUHSD are. The same
1998 law that authorized these fees, set forth in Government Code Sections 65995.5 et seq.,
made it clear that a project's compliance with a fee program adopted by a district constituted
mitigation of the project's impact; no other mitigation can be required. The Hills at Vallco
Schoolhouse Services 17 February 2016
The Hills at Vallco Enrollment and Fiscal Impact Analysis
project is unusual in that the developer has agreed to fund significant voluntary benefits to the
school districts in additional to payment of the fees levied by the districts.
Both CUSD and FUHSD are eligible to levy Level 1 development impact fees on new residential
development and the majority of commercial/industrial development. When two districts both
serve in an area, they must agree on how the fee revenue is to be split in that area. FUHSD and
its elementary feeder districts have such agreements. Per the agreement between the two
districts, CUSD will be allowed to collect up to 60% of the maximum fee amount, $2.03 per
square foot of residential development. FUHSD is allowed to collect 40% of the maximum,
$1.36 per square foot of residential development. The maximum fees on commercial/industrial
development are $0.33 and $0.22 per square foot for CUSD and FUHSD respectively.
California Government Code section 65995.1(a) stipulates that residential units designated for
senior housing may be charged only the commercial/industrial rate. Therefore, the 40 Vallco
project senior units would be charged $0.55 per square foot, with the revenue being allocated
between the districts according to the agreed upon shares.
The impact fee revenue, the source of school capital improvements funding, will depend on the
size and nature of the buildings in proposed project. Other documents provide much more
information about the buildings than is included in this report. Here we focus on the
characteristics of the buildings that affect development fee revenues and property tax revenues
that will accrue to the two school districts.
Table I-1 listed the various types of development in the project with the number of residential
units and the square footage of the non-residential buildings. That information is incorporated
here into Table II -4 below. The area in parking structures is not included in the table. The
reasons are (1) that generally only parking facilities that are paid parking with attendants can
justify levying fees and (2) even if fees are justified they likely will be only about $0.05 per
square foot (about 10% of the fee levied on office and retail space). Of course, no fees can be
levied for surface parking.
Two court decisions have made it clear that demolition of existing buildings that contribute to
school enrollment should result in credit against the fees payable by construction of which the
demolition is a component. About 1.2 million square feet of the Vallco shopping center retail
space will be demolished. This is also shown in Table II -4. Credit against fees from the
demolition of the parking structures will be non-existent or negligible.
The calculations in the table show net fee revenues (after credits for demolition) of about $2.2
million to CUSD and $1.5 million to FUHSD. This amounts to $11,000 per additional CUSD
student and $32,000 per additional FUHSD student.
Schoolhouse Services 18 February 2016
The Hills at Vallco Enrollment and Fiscal Impact Analysis
Table II -4
Development Impact Fee Revenue
Source: Schoolhouse Services
Comparison of Capital Costs and Developer Mitigation and Voluntary Benefits
Table II -5 below shows the calculation of the difference between the development impact fees
likely to be generated by the proposed project and the facilities costs per student for each of the
districts. (The voluntary benefits, in addition to development fees, proposed by the developer are
not reflected in this table.) The table shows a larger net capital cost impact for CUSD and a
larger net per student impact for FUHSD. The impacts reflect the high cost of school facilities at
CUSD and FUHSD campuses. They would be even higher if not for the substantial fee revenue
from the non-residential development portion of the project. The deficits also reflect the design
of California law that development fees are only intended to partially mitigate development
impacts on schools districts.
Schoolhouse Services 19 February 2016
Total
Square Feet
CUSD
Fee/sq ft
CUSD
Fee Revenue
FUHSD
Fee/sq ft
FUHSD
Fee Revenue
Total
Revenue
Apartments
Non -senior Units
Senior Units
Non -living Space
Total Residential
723,100
38,700
38,200
800,000
$2.03
$0.33
$0.33
$1,468,000
$13,000
$13,000
$1,494,000
$1.36
$0.22
$0.22
$983,000
$9,000
$8,000
$1,000,000
$2,451,000
$22,000
$21,000
$2,494,000
Non-residential
3,170,000
$0.33
$1,046,000
$0.22
$697,000
$1,743,000
Gross Revenues
3,970,000
$2,540,000
$1,697,000
$4,237,000
Credit or Demolition
1,200,000
$0.33
$396,000
$0.22
$264,000
$660,000
Net Revenues
2,770,000
$2,144,000
$1,433,000
$3,577,000
Number of Students
212
46
Revenue per Student
1
$10,000
$31,000
Source: Schoolhouse Services
Comparison of Capital Costs and Developer Mitigation and Voluntary Benefits
Table II -5 below shows the calculation of the difference between the development impact fees
likely to be generated by the proposed project and the facilities costs per student for each of the
districts. (The voluntary benefits, in addition to development fees, proposed by the developer are
not reflected in this table.) The table shows a larger net capital cost impact for CUSD and a
larger net per student impact for FUHSD. The impacts reflect the high cost of school facilities at
CUSD and FUHSD campuses. They would be even higher if not for the substantial fee revenue
from the non-residential development portion of the project. The deficits also reflect the design
of California law that development fees are only intended to partially mitigate development
impacts on schools districts.
Schoolhouse Services 19 February 2016
The Hills at Vallco Enrollment and Fiscal Impact Analysis
Table II -5
Development Impact Fees versus School Costs*
* Both fee revenue and facilities costs are one-time, rather than annual, estimates.
Source: Schoolhouse Services
Recognizing the importance of schools to Cupertino citizens and the role of a positive impact on
schools in making the project attractive to them, the developer has, as noted above, offered LOIS
that specify voluntary improvements and funding obligations in addition to the statutory
development fees. The provision of a new school at the site of the former Nan Allan Elementary
School is particularly important to CUSD, as the district has long seen the need for another
school in the northern portion of the district. The proposed location, proximate to the Collins
Elementary School campus, would provide additional capacity in the greater northern portion of
the district. It would provide capacity for about 550 more CUSD students than the proposed
project would generate located reasonably close to the overcrowded schools north and east of
Interstate 280. The new school would address perhaps the most significant problem the district
faces in accommodating its students.
In addition, the construction of permanent classrooms to replace the existing portables at the
Collins Elementary School site would improve the usability of the existing playgrounds at the
site. The project applicant also proposes to improve the playgrounds as a part of their voluntary
improvements and to fund a $1 million endowment for the 81h grade Yosemite science program.
FUHSD sees the "Innovator Space" as a critical element in its future role educating students who
may work in the tech industry. Being part of the Vallco project, and also its favorable location in
the project, allow the district to have a facility in the proximity of the tech world. It is
envisioned that student involvement there will enhance the relevance of many of the classes in
the district's comprehensive schools.
The developer has estimated the cost of the benefits at $40 million. Some of the facts about the
benefits are not specific enough for us to generate an accurate independent estimate of the costs,
but enough is specified for us to confirm that the cost to the two districts of providing these
benefits would be of this order of magnitude.
Table II -4 above calculated the cost impact to the districts based on its recent cost of adding
capacity. The table below shows the magnitude of the benefit to the district based on the
Schoolhouse Services 20 February 2016
Fee Revenue
Facilities Cost
Per Student
Total Facilities
Per Student
Per Student
Cost Difference
Students
Cost Impact
CUSD-Elementary
$11,000
$29,780
($18,780)
144
($2,704,320)
CUSD-Middle
$11,000
$32,640
($21,640)
68
($1,471,520)
CUSD - total
212
($4,175,840)
FUHSD
$32,000
$69,600
($37,600)
46
($1,729,600)
Total
1
$258
($5,905,440)
* Both fee revenue and facilities costs are one-time, rather than annual, estimates.
Source: Schoolhouse Services
Recognizing the importance of schools to Cupertino citizens and the role of a positive impact on
schools in making the project attractive to them, the developer has, as noted above, offered LOIS
that specify voluntary improvements and funding obligations in addition to the statutory
development fees. The provision of a new school at the site of the former Nan Allan Elementary
School is particularly important to CUSD, as the district has long seen the need for another
school in the northern portion of the district. The proposed location, proximate to the Collins
Elementary School campus, would provide additional capacity in the greater northern portion of
the district. It would provide capacity for about 550 more CUSD students than the proposed
project would generate located reasonably close to the overcrowded schools north and east of
Interstate 280. The new school would address perhaps the most significant problem the district
faces in accommodating its students.
In addition, the construction of permanent classrooms to replace the existing portables at the
Collins Elementary School site would improve the usability of the existing playgrounds at the
site. The project applicant also proposes to improve the playgrounds as a part of their voluntary
improvements and to fund a $1 million endowment for the 81h grade Yosemite science program.
FUHSD sees the "Innovator Space" as a critical element in its future role educating students who
may work in the tech industry. Being part of the Vallco project, and also its favorable location in
the project, allow the district to have a facility in the proximity of the tech world. It is
envisioned that student involvement there will enhance the relevance of many of the classes in
the district's comprehensive schools.
The developer has estimated the cost of the benefits at $40 million. Some of the facts about the
benefits are not specific enough for us to generate an accurate independent estimate of the costs,
but enough is specified for us to confirm that the cost to the two districts of providing these
benefits would be of this order of magnitude.
Table II -4 above calculated the cost impact to the districts based on its recent cost of adding
capacity. The table below shows the magnitude of the benefit to the district based on the
Schoolhouse Services 20 February 2016
The Hills at Vallco Enrollment and Fiscal Impact Analysis
developer's cost estimate. The benefits are a multiple of the deficit assuming only fee
mitigation.
Table II -6
Fees and Voluntary Improvements Versus Facilities Costs*
Cost of Fee Cost Net
Voluntary Deficit Benefit
Benefits*
$40,000,000 ($5,905,440) $34,094,560
* Cost of Voluntary Improvements estimated by the developer.
Schoolhouse Services 21 February 2016
III OPERATING REVENUE AND COST IMPACTS
Operating Costs
Operating costs are annual costs and are matched with revenues received annually. Almost all
operating costs tend to increase with enrollment if educational standards are to be maintained.
These costs include personnel costs like salaries and benefits for certificated and classified
employees, which comprise the large majority of a district's budget. It is possible that there can
be some economies of scale, that students can be added without increasing some costs
proportionately. But the savings would be small and, therefore, the cost per student estimate
here is simply a calculation of the operating expenditures divided by the number of students.
Table III -1
Operating Costs
Operating
Number of
Per Student
Budget
Students
Cost
CUSD $187,371,986
18,924
$9,900
FUHSD $125,000,000
10,683
$11,700
Sources: CUSD and FUHSD 2015-16 budgets and Schoolhouse Services
Operating Revenues
Cupertino Union School District Revenue
The Hills at Vallco project will affect the revenues and costs for the two districts in very
different ways. CUSD is a "revenue limit" district. Like other revenue limited districts in the
state, its property tax revenues are sufficiently low that it is eligible to receive a supplemental
grant from the state's operating grants program. (Ninety -plus percent of the students in
California public schools attend in revenue limit districts.) This grant program in its current
version is only in its third year; it folds about 40 funding programs into a single grant program
and generally allows districts to allocate the revenue as it see fit.
The program can be briefly summarized as follows. The public school funding level (property
tax revenues plus grants) that the state can support across all California districts is determined
based on the state budget allocation to K-12 education for the fiscal year and the state Local
Control Funding Formula (LCFF). The state then uses the educational budget allocation to
supply the additional funds necessary to each district to fill the gap between that level and local
property taxes. For example, if the LCFF calculations determine that a district is be supported
with $100 million of property taxes plus LCFF grant, and the district's property tax revenues are
$70 million, then the LCFF grant is $30 million.
For each district, the state specified funding level per the LCFF depends on total enrollment and
the portion of that enrollment that is learning English or eligible for free or reduced price
lunches. CUSD revenue (taxes plus the state grant) due to this program totals $137 million in
this fiscal year, or $7,230 per student.
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The result is that the sum of the revenues from property taxes and the revenue limit program
increases proportionately as enrollment increases. Another reality for a revenue limit district is
that the increase in property tax revenue from new homes is offset by an equal reduction in the
money from the state; thus higher property taxes do not affect the total of property tax and state
revenue limit funding. It should also be understood that the above analysis is based on current
programs. These programs could be modified in coming years.
The federal and state governments also supply other funding, generally for categorical programs,
and these also tend to increase as enrollment increases, as do the relatively small revenues from
several local sources (e.g. interest and transportation fees). CUSD operating revenues from these
sources total $42 million, or $2,210 per student for the 2015-2016 fiscal year.
There is one CUSD funding source (other than the property taxes) that ordinarily would not
increase proportionally with enrollment, that being parcel taxes. Parcel taxes flow from
measures approved by the voters. The current CUSD parcel tax, which provides less than five
percent of district revenues, is $250 per parcel. It is not known, of course, whether a new
measure will be adopted when it expires and, if so, at what level, but a new parcel tax is more
likely than not. Since there will not be a large number of parcels in the project, its legally
required contribution to parcel tax revenue would be negligible.
However, the LOIs have been updated to require that in lieu parcel taxes equal to the Measure A
amounts, as well as any subsequent parcel taxes, will be paid on the 680 non -senior market rate
apartments as if they were separate parcels rather than a single parcel. While this requirement is
in place, parcel tax revenue would also increase significantly.
In summary, all categories of CUSD revenue sources would tend to increase proportionately with
enrollment. The result would be that additional revenue per student and additional expenses per
student would be approximately equal.
Fremont Union High School District Revenue
FUHSD is one of the relatively few districts in the state that is not a revenue limit district. The
District's property tax revenue is moderately above the amount below which the state Local
Control Funding Formula (LCFF) comes into play and provides grants supplementing property
tax revenue. Because there is no state supplement to property tax revenues (in contrast to the
CUSD situation), state revenue does not increase when additional students are enrolled.
However, new development generates additional property taxes, increasing the District's
revenues. The property tax revenues will be equal to the District's share of the property tax rate
times the fair market value established by the Santa Clara County Assessor at the time each
building is completed.
Table III -2 shows the calculation of the assessed valuation estimate for the proposed project as
proposed. The assessed values are calculated based on per unit and/or per square foot market
Schoolhouse Services 23 February 2016
The Hills at Vallco Enrollment and Fiscal Impact Analysis
values estimated by Schoolhouse based on an analysis of about 30 sales in the last three months
as comparables. At this time the real estate markets are changing rapidly, with values up in the
order of 15-25% in the last year, so reference information needs to be quite recent. Sales are to a
large extent dependent on historically low interest rates and the uncertainty about alternative
investments. These, and other, factors could change in the years before construction of the
buildings is completed.
Table III -2
Assessed Value
*Assessed value of parking facilities and the 30 -acre roof are included with that of the buildings shown.
Source: Schoolhouse Services
There are also uncertainties as to how value will be allocated among the buildings; the central
plant, for example, has little value in itself, but it is necessary for the income generating
buildings. Parking facilities and the 30 -acre roof are other components for which it is difficult to
assign value independent of its relationship to components that generate significant income.
Therefore these estimates should be understood to reflect judgment as much as they reflect
statistical data.
The estimated total fair market value of the buildings is $3.32 billion. The basic property tax
rate per California law is one percent of assessed value; the annual base property tax (without
voter approved bonds and special taxes) that will be generated by The Hills at Vallco complex is
estimated to be $33.2 million. FUHSD's share of the property tax in the 13-301 tax code area in
which the project is located is 16.68% of the total one percent base tax rate; the annual property
tax revenue from the Vallco project going to the district general fund is $5.53 million. If 46 high
Schoolhouse Services 24 February 2016
Number of
Assessed Value
Assessed Value
Units
Square Feet
per UnitlFoot*
(in Millions)
Apartments
Market Rate
680
$900,000
$612
Below Market Rate
80
$300,000
$24
Senior
40
$500,000
$20
Apartments Total
800
$656
Non-residential
Office
2,000,000
$950
$1,900
Office Amenity and Support
345,000
$400
$138
Commercial/Retail
420,000
$1,200
$504
Commercial/Entertainment
180,000
$400
$72
Commercial/Other
50,000
$500
$25
Civic
40,000
$100
$4
Residential Amenity
25,000
$300
$8
Support Infrastructure
110,000
$100
$11
Non-residential Total
3,170,000
$2,662
Total
$3,318
*Assessed value of parking facilities and the 30 -acre roof are included with that of the buildings shown.
Source: Schoolhouse Services
There are also uncertainties as to how value will be allocated among the buildings; the central
plant, for example, has little value in itself, but it is necessary for the income generating
buildings. Parking facilities and the 30 -acre roof are other components for which it is difficult to
assign value independent of its relationship to components that generate significant income.
Therefore these estimates should be understood to reflect judgment as much as they reflect
statistical data.
The estimated total fair market value of the buildings is $3.32 billion. The basic property tax
rate per California law is one percent of assessed value; the annual base property tax (without
voter approved bonds and special taxes) that will be generated by The Hills at Vallco complex is
estimated to be $33.2 million. FUHSD's share of the property tax in the 13-301 tax code area in
which the project is located is 16.68% of the total one percent base tax rate; the annual property
tax revenue from the Vallco project going to the district general fund is $5.53 million. If 46 high
Schoolhouse Services 24 February 2016
The Hills at Vallco Enrollment and Fiscal Impact Analysis
school students reside in the 800 apartments, this amounts to $120,200 for per student. It should
be understood that this large per student number reflects the fact that residential development is a
relatively small part of the total Vallco development.
Assessed values by law are only allowed to increase by a maximum of two percent annually
unless the property changes ownership. This rate is likely to be less over time than the rate at
which district expenses increase. There are, however, ballot proposals to remove this limit on
the rate of increase for commercial properties.
Table III -3
FUHSD Property Tax Impact
Assessed
Valuation
Estimated Assessed Valuation $3,318
Property Tax at 1.0% Tax Rate $33,180,000
FUHSD Share of Tax Rate (16.68%) $5,530,000
FUHSD Share of Tax Rate per FUHSD Student $120,200
Sources: Santa Clara County Tax Collector, Controller, and Schoolhouse Services
The voters of both CUSD and FUHSD have approved bond issues for campus improvements.
Debt service on the bond issues is spread among property tax payers proportional to assessed
value. The current tax rate for CUSD is 0.000519 per dollar of assessed value; the revenue thus
paid by Vallco property owners for debt service on CUSD bonds is projected to be $1.72 million.
Similarly, the current tax rate for the Fremont District is 0.000525 per dollar of assessed value
and the revenue paid for debt service on the district's bonds is projected to be $1.74 million. It
should be understood, however, that these revenues do not increase the funds available to the two
districts. The bond issues and associated debt service are fixed amounts. The assessed value of
new development increases the total assessed value, spreading the debt service among a larger
tax base; it does not increase the revenue to the districts. It does decrease by $3.46 million
annually the amount other tax -payers in the districts have to pay.
Other revenues to FUHSD, the largest components being government support ($7.00 million)
and parcel taxes ($5.75 million), provide $1,620 per student. Given the developer's commitment
on parcel taxes (FUHSD's current parcel tax Measure J is $98 per year), these sources are
estimated to increase roughly proportional to district enrollment. They would generate about
$67,000 annually from the Vallco project.
Schoolhouse Services 25 February 2016
The Hills at Vallco Enrollment and Fiscal Impact Analysis
Table III -4
Operational Costs Versus Operational Revenues*
Total Operational Revenues $2,099,000 $5,604,000
Per Student Costs
Average Cost per Student
$9,900 $11,700
Total Operational Costs $2,099,000 $538,200
Net Fiscal Impact
Per Student Impact $0 $110,120
Total Impact $0 $5,065,800
* All costs and revenues shown are annual costs and revenues
Sources: Revenues and costs from the CUSD and FUHSD 2015-2016 budgets, Schoolhouse Services
Comparison of Operating Costs and Revenues
Table III -4 also shows the operational costs anticipated for both districts as a result of the
proposed Hills at Vallco project, which allows for a comparison with the revenues resulting from
the project. There is no discernable annual operating impact for CUSD as a result of the
additional students from the proposed project. This reflects the perspective that all major
funding sources are expected to increase proportionately to the number of students added, as our
operating costs.
For FUHSD, at the estimated assessed valuation of the project, there is a net fiscal surplus of
about $110,000 per student for FUHSD, about ten times the district's costs per student. After
providing services to an additional 46 students as a result of the Hills at Vallco project, the
annual surplus is projected to be about $5.0 million, a substantial amount.
Schoolhouse Services 26 February 2016
CUSD
FUHSD
Projected Enrollment
Students
212
46
Per Student Revenues
State LCFF Funding
$7,230
Sources Proportional to Enrollment
$2,670
$1,620
FUHSD Share of Property Tax
$120,200
Total per Student Revenues
$9,900
$121,820
Total Operational Revenues $2,099,000 $5,604,000
Per Student Costs
Average Cost per Student
$9,900 $11,700
Total Operational Costs $2,099,000 $538,200
Net Fiscal Impact
Per Student Impact $0 $110,120
Total Impact $0 $5,065,800
* All costs and revenues shown are annual costs and revenues
Sources: Revenues and costs from the CUSD and FUHSD 2015-2016 budgets, Schoolhouse Services
Comparison of Operating Costs and Revenues
Table III -4 also shows the operational costs anticipated for both districts as a result of the
proposed Hills at Vallco project, which allows for a comparison with the revenues resulting from
the project. There is no discernable annual operating impact for CUSD as a result of the
additional students from the proposed project. This reflects the perspective that all major
funding sources are expected to increase proportionately to the number of students added, as our
operating costs.
For FUHSD, at the estimated assessed valuation of the project, there is a net fiscal surplus of
about $110,000 per student for FUHSD, about ten times the district's costs per student. After
providing services to an additional 46 students as a result of the Hills at Vallco project, the
annual surplus is projected to be about $5.0 million, a substantial amount.
Schoolhouse Services 26 February 2016