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California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) at LAUSD

  • CEQA_logo

    The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is a state statute that requires LAUSD to undertake specified environmental review of projects prior to approval by the LAUSD Board of Education. In May 2017, the Board of Education adopted revised "LAUSD Procedures for Implementing the CEQA" (available here), which incorporates by reference the State CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations Title 14, Division 6, Chapter 3, Section 15000 et seq.). As authorized by Section 15025 of the State CEQA Guidelines, the Board of Education has delegated CEQA's environmental review functions to Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS). The Director of OEHS serves as the District's CEQA Officer.

    The District acquires, constructs, leases and operates many different types of educational and support facilities. Depending on the circumstances, such activities may result in either a direct physical change in the environment or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.  The primary purpose of CEQA is to inform decision makers and the public about the potential, significant environmental effects of these proposed activities and identify the ways that environmental damage can be avoided or significantly reduced through the use of feasible alternatives or mitigation measures.

    In addition, the District's CEQA team is responsible for monitoring the ongoing changes in the community surrounding the over 1,000 schools and other facilities that the District operates.  We provide intergovernmental review of these projects on a regular basis for concerns related to the health and safety of students and staff. Notices regarding the availability of CEQA documents or public hearings (etc.) should be sent to LAUSD OEHS, 333 S. Beaudry Avenue, 21st Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017, Attn: Environmental Review or emailed to ceqa-comments@lausd.net

    For more information on CEQA at LAUSD, or requests for information regarding our schools, please 
    e-mail ceqa-comments@lausd.net or call 213-241-3199.

All tree trimming and removal conducted on District property is required to adhere to the procedures described in the LAUSD OEHS Tree Trimming and Removal Procedure. Compliance with this Procedure will ensure that District activities will not conflict with any tree preservation policies while ensuring the protection of breeding and nesting habitat of protected birds. Written approval from the Director of OEHS, Director of Maintenance & Operations, Local District Superintendent, and School Principal is required before any protected tree is relocated or removed. For more information, please contact OEHS at (213) 241-3199 or the District Arborist at (213) 745-1422.

The LAUSD Standard Conditions of Approval for District Construction, Upgrade, and Improvement Projects (SCs) are environmental standards that are applied to District construction, upgrade, and improvement projects to offset potential environmental impacts. The SCs were compiled from established LAUSD standards, guidelines, specifications, practices, plans, policies, and programs and were adopted by the Board of Education on December 12, 2023.

 

In anticipation of implementation of the School Upgrade Program, OEHS commissioned a District-wide Historic Resource Inventory. As part of this study, an updated Historic Context Statement was prepared and 55 campuses were evaluated for eligibility for listing in the National and/or state registers. The Historic Context Statement received a Preservation Design Award from the California Preservation Foundation in 2014 and a Conservation Preservation Award from the Los Angeles Conservancy in 2015.

LAUSD currently has over 180 schools that have been identified as eligible for listing in the National and/or State registers and over 150 more that still require historic review. OEHS has also developed procedural guidelines for CEQA compliance, which have been incorporated into the Program EIR for the School Upgrade Program, and design guidelines for the treatment of historic resources. 

When a project is determined to be exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15061 of the State CEQA Guidelines, a Notice of Exemption (NOE) is prepared and filed with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk office. NOEs are posted at the County Clerk’s office for 30 days and on this website for one year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

CEQA Documents (click on a project name below to access the documents)

The proposed Project is designed to address the most critical physical concerns of the buildings and grounds at Fairfax HS through building replacement, renovation, and modernization to provide facilities that are safe, secure, and better aligned with the current instructional program. The proposed Project includes demolition of the existing Shop Building, Gymnasium, Utility Building, Ticket Office, and Relocatable Sanitary Building, and the construction of a new gymnasium, specialty classrooms, outdoor physical education courts, maintenance and operations facilities, and an Art Gallery Building. The proposed Project also includes exterior painting of existing buildings; various landscape and hardscape improvements; parking improvements; infrastructure upgrades including, but not limited to, sanitary sewer, water, storm water, and electrical utilities; and accessibility upgrades as required. The PEA-E presents the findings of the site assessment investigations performed for this proposed Project. The campus is not on any of the lists compiled under Government Code Section 65926.5.

LA Unified will make this Initial Study/Negative Declaration (pursuant to California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 15082) available for public review and comment from May 7, 2025 to June 6, 2025.

LA Unified will hold a virtual meeting on Thursday, May 22, 2025 at 6:00pm. Please connect via Zoom or by phone:

 

LA Unified proposes to complete a major modernization project at the Sylmar Charter HS Campus to provide facilities that are safe, secure, and aligned with the instructional program (proposed Project or Project). The Project would demolish up to four permanent buildings (Multipurpose Building/Food Services including Lunch Pavilion and shelter, Student Store, and two Classroom Buildings) and six portable classroom buildings. To replace the structures, the Project would construct one permanent building to replace the core facilities demolished. The Project’s space program proposes to accommodate building spaces for performing arts, library/media center, career center, special education, and 10 new classrooms. The Project also includes utility upgrades, parking reconfiguration, accessibility upgrades, painting of exterior buildings, landscaping, and hardscaping including outdoor learning areas. The Project would also include the installation of interim facilities to allow the school to remain operational during construction. The Project would not increase student enrollment or capacity and total number of standard-sized classrooms would decrease by approximately two.

LA Unified will make this NOP and Initial Study (pursuant to California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 15082) available for public review and comment from April 7, 2025 to May 7, 2025.

LA Unified will hold a public scoping meeting on April 10, 2025 at the Sylmar Charter High School Auditorium, 13050 Borden Avenue, Sylmar, California 91352 and Zoom online at https://lausd.zoom.us/j/86921616207 Webinar Meeting ID #: 869 2161 6207.

The Final EIR for the Irving Middle School Major Modernization Project was certified by the Board of Education on January 14, 2025.  

 

The IS/MND for the Garfield High School Major Modernization Project was adopted by the Board of Education on September 10, 2024. 

The IS/ND for the Canoga Park High School Major Modernization Project was adopted by the Board of Education on  on May 7, 2024. 

The IS/ND for the 49th Street Elementary School Major Modernization Project was adopted by the Board of Education on April 9, 2024. 

 

The IS/MND for the Rise Kohyang Middle School Project was adopted by the Board of Education on February 8, 2022.

The IS/ND for the Hamilton High School Comprehensive Modernization Project was adopted by the Board of Education on February 10, 2021.

The IS/MND for the Lincoln High School Comprehensive Modernization Project was adopted by the Board of Education on January 12, 2021.

The IS/MND for the Vaughn Next Century Learning Center Administrative, Media/Literacy & Kitchen Building Project was adopted by the Board of Education on January 12, 2021.

The IS/MND for the Taft Charter High School Comprehensive Modernization Project was adopted by the Board of Education on October 6, 2020.

The IS/MND for the Shenandoah Elementary School Comprehensive Modernization Project was adopted by the Board of Education on June 9, 2020. 

The IS/MND for the Kennedy High School Comprehensive Modernization Project was adopted by the Board of Education on June 9, 2020. 

The EIR for the Burroughs Middle School Comprehensive Modernization Project was certified by the Board of Education on June 9, 2020. 

The IS/MND for the Rise Kohyang High School Project was adopted by the Board of Education on May 19, 2020.

The IS/MND for the Reseda Charter High School Comprehensive Modernization Project was adopted by the Board of Education on March 10, 2020. 

The IS/MND for the Belvedere Middle School Comprehensive Modernization was adopted by the Board of Education on March 10, 2020.

The IS/MND for the Elizabeth Learning Center Comprehensive Modernization Project was adopted by the Board of Education on November 5, 2019. 

The IS/ND for the 92nd St. Elementary School Comprehensive Modernization Project was adopted by the Board of Education on October 1, 2019.

The IS/MND for the Ascot Avenue Elementary School Comprehensive Modernization Project was adopted by the Board of Education on June 18, 2019.

The IS/MND for the McKinley Avenue Elementary School Comprehensive Modernization Project was adopted by the Board of Education on June 18, 2019.

The EIR for the San Pedro High School Comprehensive Modernization Project was certified by the Board of Education on November 13, 2018.

The IS/MND for the Jefferson High School Comprehensive Modernization Project was adopted by the Board of Education on November 13, 2018.

The EIR for the Roosevelt High School Comprehensive Modernization Project was certified by the Board of Education on May 8, 2018.

The EIR for the Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies Comprehensive Modernization Project was certified by the Board of Education on May 8, 2018.

The IS/MND for the North Hollywood High School Comprehensive Modernization Project was adopted by the Board of Education on April 10, 2018.

 

The IS/ND for the Polytechnic High School Comprehensive Modernization Project was adopted by the Board of Education on February 13, 2018.

The IS/MND for the Ulysses S. Grant High School Comprehensive Modernization Project was adopted by the Board of Education on December 12, 2017.

The EIR for the Huntington Park High School Comprehensive Modernization Project was certified by the Board of Education on May 8, 2018.

The Final Subsequent Program Environmental Impact Report (SPEIR) was certified by the Board of Education on December 12, 2023.

The Final Program EIR was certified by the Board of Education on November 10, 2015. 

 

 

  • Preliminary Project Referral Form for CEQA & Site Assessment Reviews 
     
     This form is for District use and should be filled out by project proponents (e.g., Asset Management, A/E Services...) to initiate the CEQA and/or Site Assessment review process.