Page 3 - 2026 CEQA Checklist for School Districts

II. Does the project fall into any CEQA exemption?
A. Does the project fall into any statutory CEQA exemption?
Examples most likely to apply to school districts:
1. Emergency repairs to a public facility necessary to maintain service;
2. Actions to repair, demolish or replace facilities damaged as a result of a disaster for which the Gov-
ernor has declared a state of emergency;
3. Actions to prevent or mitigate an emergency;
4. Establishing or modifying fees;
5. Closing of a public school only if the physical changes resulting from the closure are categorically
exempt, as outlined in step II B; and
6. Certain housing projects, including affordable and infill housing, rezoning actions, or housing
projects that would be exempt from CEQA but for a single condition; these may include workforce
housing if various conditions are met.
(Pub. Resources Code § 21080(b)(2), (b)(3), (b)(4), (b)(8), § 21080.085, § 21080.1, § 21080.40,
§ 21080.66; Ed. Code § 94212(a).)

YES: No further CEQA analysis is required. NO: Consideration should be given to categorical
exemptions (continue to step II B).
(CEQA Guideline § 15061(b)(2).)

B. Does evidence support a finding that the project fall into any categorical CEQA exemption?
Examples most likely to apply to school districts, each of which apply only if there is no potential of a
cumulative impact of successive projects of the same type:
Class 1 Operation, repair, maintenance or minor alteration of public facilities, including: adding interior
partitions, plumbing, electrical systems; restoring facilities to meet health and safety standards;
landscaping maintenance, demolition of small, non-significant structures; and additions to
existing structures that will not significantly increase the size of the structure;
Class 2 Replacement or reconstruction of existing school facilities at the same capacity, or, if to provide
earthquake resistance, where capacity is not increased by more than 50%;

Class 3 New construction or conversion of small structures or installation of small equipment, except
for where there is a particularly sensitive environmental setting;

Class 4 Minor alterations to land which do not involve removal of mature, scenic trees unless for forest-
ry and agriculture purposes; also includes grading on less than a 10% slope, minor trenching or
filling of earth into excavated areas and similar minor or temporary uses of land; except where
there is a particularly sensitive environmental setting;

Class 6 Collection of data or information that would not result in a major disturbance to environmental
resources, except for where there is a particularly sensitive environmental setting;
Class 11 Construction of minor structures accessory to existing facilities, including on-premise signs or
small parking lots, except for where there is a particularly sensitive environmental setting;

Class 12 Sale of surplus property that is not of regional concern or that does not have significant envi-
ronmental sensitivity;

Class 14 Minor additions to schools, defined as additions that will not increase student capacity by more
than 25% or ten classrooms, whichever is less;

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