Pasco reviews school capital facilities plan; impact-fee changes already in code

City planning staff presented the Pasco School District's 2025 capital facilities plan at the workshop and summarized enrollment forecasts, recent school construction and financing approaches.

The plan, prepared by the district, reports October 2024 enrollment just over 18,000 students and projects roughly 1,420 additional students over the next six years across elementary, middle and high school grades. The district recently opened two high schools (Sage View and Orient) as part of roughly $246 million in capacity investments that addressed high-school overcrowding. The plan identifies middle-school capacity as the primary near-term need and lists potential future projects and land-acquisition needs.

Miss Matson reminded council that school impact fees were adopted last year in coordination with the district via an interlocal agreement; the current fee structure in code is zero for single-family and $222,595 for multifamily (per transcript discussion of fee implementation). Staff emphasized that impact fees fund growth-related capital and are distinct from operating levies; a district attorney provided written clarification that levies and bonds fund operations and that levies do not change impact-fee calculations.

Staff said this amendment is a routine component of the comprehensive-plan update and will move forward through the formal ordinance process next week.