The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is a state law that requires public agencies, including school districts, to evaluate and disclose the potential environmental impacts of certain projects before they are approved or constructed. CEQA helps ensure that environmental considerations are incorporated into project planning and that potential impacts are avoided or reduced whenever feasible. Depending on the project and its potential impacts, CEQA compliance may include a Notice of Exemption, Initial Study, Negative Declaration/Mitigated Negative Declaration, or Environmental Impact Report (EIR), along with the required public review and filing of applicable notices.

CEQA requirements are established primarily under the California Public Resources Code, Section 21000 et seq., and the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 15000 et seq. For California school districts, additional requirements related to school site evaluation, environmental hazards and site approval are contained in Education Code Sections 17210–17213.3 and 17268. In particular, Education Code Section 17213 establishes environmental and health-safety findings associated with school site acquisition, while Section 17213.1 addresses environmental site assessments and Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) review requirements for applicable projects.

As part of the CEQA process, the District prepares and makes available the appropriate environmental documentation and files required notices with agencies such as the County Clerk and the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation State Clearinghouse, as applicable. These documents provide transparency regarding the District’s environmental review, findings and mitigation measures associated with its facilities projects.