Littleton Public Schools Policy

Policy Code    FB Policy Name    Facilities Planning Adoption            July 2, 1984 Revised

Forecasting Future Facility Needs

The District, on an as-needed basis, will conduct appropriate review and studies of facility needs. If necessary, professional assistance may be sought.

Needs shall be determined upon the following criteria:

       The extent of use of existing facilities.

       The students to be accommodated at a particular time and projected into the future.

       The educational goals of the District.

       The extent of nonschool or shared use of the facilities.

       The economic conditions, housing yields, birth rates, population growth and the relevant data of the Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Site Acquisition

The Board of Education shall exercise its legal authority in acquiring the necessary sites for appropriate facilities in the District. Facility sites shall be located if at all possible, to best service particular areas on the basis that schools shall serve the optimum number of walk-in students, thus economizing on the fuel, equipment, and personnel costs.

Arapahoe County, City of Littleton, and City of Centennial have established regulations governing, among other things, the dedication by developers of sites and land areas for public use. Many subdivisions are small and do not provide an adequate public area to accommodate an elementary school site. Any dedication resulting in a site less than five (5) acres will necessitate negotiations for cash in lieu of land. Such negotiations will be based on the formula developed by the Property Management Services Department and submitted to the Board of Education for action.

Site procurement shall be planned sufficiently well in advance to allow the acquisition of property prior to the time of actual need. Such procurement plans and an acquisition calendar shall be based on long-range studies and/or discussions with related public agencies with activities of a public service or a community development nature. Efforts shall be made to cooperate with the City of Littleton, City of Centennial, and the Arapahoe County Planning Office in satisfying mutual needs in obtaining land for public use.

Sites that are being considered for purchase by the District shall be appraised by a reputable, recognized appraiser who will establish the value of the site. The Board of Education may take options on properties or enter into a contract for purchase of facility sites on the basis that the cost value has been established and approved. The right of “eminent domain,” as provided by statute, may be exercised after all reasonable negotiations for purchasing sites have been exhausted.

Legal Reference: C.R.S. 22-32-111