Centros Educativos

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School is proposed to open in fall 2007. The proposed school is intended to absorb school district growth, including new students generated from SMRSP.

Facilities

The layout of the proposed project is illustrated in Figure 5, Site Plan. The front entrance is proposed along Spring Street. Parking is identified along the southwest and east property lines. Structural facilities are located within the center of the site, while the play area (hard- and soft-scape) is proposed within the north and western portion.

The proposed school would be comprised of ten single-story buildings and would be compliant with the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) standards and the California Code of Regulations, Title 24. ADA-compliant ramps are proposed throughout the campus to facilitate handicap access into buildings and between campus facilities. The campus would encompass approximately 65,000 square feet of building space would include the following amenities:

• Four classroom buildings

• Two kindergarten classroom buildings • Administration building

• Library building

• Multi-purpose/ food service building • Day care

A total of 38 classrooms would be provided (i.e., six kindergarten classrooms and 32 elementary classrooms). Future portable buildings may be placed in the northeast corner of the project site, which may displace some of the hardscape play area.

Outdoor Amenities

The school would include a lunch shelter; playground space, including turf and hardscape; a separate kindergarten play area; and a service yard. Nighttime high-intensity lighting is not proposed for any of the recreational facilities.

Joint Use Facilities

The proposed project entails the construction of a 5,200 sf joint-use community public library to be operated by the Riverside County Public Library. The community library would be available for use to project students and staff during school hours, and the local community after-school hours; the community would not be allowed to use the library during school operating hours.

Vehicle Access and Student Loading Areas

According to District policy, school busing is available for all special education students. Students in grades Kindergarten through three and grades four through six who reside beyond 1.25 miles and 2.25 miles, respectively, from the proposed school would be eligible for home to school/ school to home bus transportation service. Four driveways on Spring Street provide ingress and egress into the project site. Student loading is available onsite at the eastern parking lot, located along the parking lot’s western curb and separate from the parking area. The bus loading area is located onsite in the western parking lot accessible from two driveways located on Spring Street. Approximately 130 visitor and faculty parking spaces would be available. The District anticipates most, if not all, students to either be bused or dropped-off at the facility.

1.

Introduction

Helen Keller Elementary (E S No. 31) Initial Study

Riverside Unified School District• Page 3

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Operation

ES No. 31 is proposed to operate on a traditional school calendar. Classes would begin early

September and end early/mid June the following year. Summer school may be provided between June and August. Standard hours of operation are between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., with classes generally scheduled between the hours of 8:00 and 11:00 a.m. in the morning and 12:00 and 3:00 pm in the afternoon, Monday through Friday.

The joint-use community library would operate during school hours for use by project students and staff and also during after-school hours for use by the community at-large; while, the library closing time has not been determined, it is anticipated to close at 9:00 p.m. School use and public use of the library would be separate; the community would not be allowed to use the library during school operating hours.

1.3.2 Project Phasing

Development of the proposed project would be completed in one phase with several sub-phases, as described below:

• Acquisition of properties;

• Remediation of property (if necessary);

• Construction of the proposed facilities, including site clearance, excavation, and building construction; and

• Operation of the proposed elementary school.

These sub-phases would not overlap. Development of the proposed project would begin pending approval from the District Governing Board, California Department of Education, Division of the State Architect, and Department of Toxic Substances Control and receipt of required local permits.

1.4 EXISTING ZONING AND GENERAL PLAN

The project site is located within the Highgrove Area Plan of unincorporated Riverside County. Land use designation is Medium Density Residential, while the zoning designation is R-1 Residential, as identified in the Spring Mountain Ranch Specific Plan No. 323.

1.5 SCHOOL BOARD ACTION REQUESTED

The Riverside Unified School District is the Lead Agency under CEQA and has the approval authority over the proposed project. The District would require approval and/or coordination from the following responsibility agencies to implement the proposed project.

State

Development costs, including site acquisition, for the proposed project would be funded with 50% of state dollars. As a result, implementation of the proposed project would require the following state department approvals:

 California Department of Education (CDE)  Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC)  Division of the State Architect (DSA)