Brevard County collects educational facilities impact fees from residential development for construction of educational facilities or capital improvements that provide educational capacity in the Impact Fee Benefit District from which the funds were collected. The funds may be used on capacity projects identified in the Five-Year District Facilities Work Program.

The process by which funds are allocated to projects is outlined in the Interlocal Agreement between Brevard County and the School Board. Each Benefit District (North and South) has an Educational Facilities Impact Fee Benefit District Advisory Committee that includes the School Board, County and applicable municipal representatives. Approximately every quarter, the District Advisory Committees make a recommendation to the School Board. The School Board approves or modifies the recommendation and then submits the funding request to Brevard County for approval by the Board of County Commissioners. The process can take 2-4 months before the funds are received by the District.

The Board action requested allocates the impact fee revenue collected through the quarter ending March 31, 2023. Additionally, this request reallocates impact fees previously allocated to the South Area ES project.  One additional item requests reallocation of funds previously allocated to Benefit District 3 projects.  This was the result of a refund to the Benefit District 3 account that was thought to be completely expended.

The Impact Fee Benefit District Advisory Committees met on April 10, 2023. The Committees' recommendations for new educational facilities impact fees through March 31, 2023, along with reallocation of previously allocated impact fees are attached to this agenda memo and are summarized as follows:

• Central Area Secondary - Total $6,000,000.00
  • New Impact Fees Collected = $6,000,000.00
• South Area ES Capacity - Total $368,599.66
  • New Impact Fees Collected = $368,599.66
• North Elementary Capacity - Total $1,251,668.01
  • New Impact Fees Collected = $1,251,668.01

The Central Area Secondary project includes funds that can be used for a classroom building addition at Viera High School as well as funds that can be used for a middle school on the site next to Viera High School (referred to as "Middle School X" in our Five-Year District Facilities Work Program). The Viera High School classroom addition project is fully funded, so the proposed allocation will be used for the new middle school.

The financing plan for the middle school was presented to the Committees, noting that the District staff will request allocation of the South Benefit District impact fees to the new middle school for approximately two years. A nominal amount was allocated to the South Area ES Capacity project since there is a project in the design phase to add additional capacity to the West Melbourne School for Science Elementary School. 

The North Elementary Capacity project is underway to provide an additional classroom building at South Lake Elementary School. This project will provide an additional classroom for each grade level and provide more choice school capacity in North Brevard. The South Lake classroom addition is currently in the construction phase and is planned to open in August 2023. Other projects in the North Area are under consideration and will be evaluated as the enrollment statistics and projections are released.

Approve the recommendations of the Educational Facilities Impact Fee Benefit District Advisory Committees:

• Central Area Secondary $6,000,000.00
• South Area ES Capacity $368,599.66
• North Elementary Capacity $1,251,668.01
• Debt Service Total $7,614.17
  • $6,697.72 (Funds previously allocated to South Area Elementary School)
  • $916.45 (Funds previously allocated to Benefit District 3 projects)

Authorize the Superintendent, or designee, to request Brevard County approve the allocation request and disburse the Educational Impact Fees available through March 31, 2023.

Approve utilizing $7,614.17 in capital funds for the Central Area Transportation/Maintenance Facility project pending approval and disbursement of the recommended allocation of educational facilities impact fees by the Brevard County Commission.