Education Code section 17047

(a)

The allowable new building area for the purpose of providing special day class and Resource Specialist Program facilities for special education pupils shall be negotiated and approved by the board, with any necessary assistance to be provided by the Special Education Division of the State Department of Education. The square footage allowances shall be computed within the maximum square footage set forth in the following schedule:
Special Day ClassBasic Need
GradeLevels
Load­ing*
SquareFootage
Nonsevere Disability
—Specific LearningDisability
All
12
1080
—Mildly IntellectuallyDisabled
All
12
1080
—Severe Disorderof Language
All
10
1080
Severe Disability
—Deaf and Hard ofHearing
All
10
1080
—Visually Impaired
All
10
1330 (1080 + 250 storage)
—Orthopedically andOther Health Im-
paired
All
12
2000 (1080 + 400 toilets + 250 storage + 270 daily living skills + 3000 therapy + 750 therapy per additional classroom)
—Autistic
All
6
1160 (1080 + 80 toilets)
—Severely Emotion-ally Disturbed
All
6
1160 (1080 + 80 toilets)
—Severely Intellectually Disabled
Elem.
12
1750 (1080 + 400 toilets + 270 daily living skills)
Secon.
2150 (1080 + 400 toilets + 270 daily living skills + 400 vocational)
—Developmentally
Disabled
All
10
2000 (1080 + 400 toilets + 250 storage + 270 daily living skills + 3000 therapy** + 750 therapy per additional CR)
—Deaf-Blind/Multi
All
5
1400 (1080 + 200 storage + 150 toilets)
Pupils
SquareFeet
Resource Specialist Program for those pupils with disabling conditions whose needs have been identified by the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team, who require special education for a portion of the day, and who are assigned to a regular classroom for a majority of the schoolday.***
All Maximum caseload for RS is 28, not all served at same time.
1–8
240
9–28
480
29–37
720
38–56
960
57–65
1200
66–85
1440
86–94
1680
95–112
1920
*Special pupils may usually be grouped without accordance to type, especially in smaller districts or where attendance zones may indicate, to maximize loadings per classroom where there are children with similar educational needs (Sec. 56364 or 56364.2, as applicable).
**Therapy add-ons not to be provided if on same site as orthopedically impaired.
***To a maximum of 4 percent of the unhoused average daily attendance of the district, per new school or addition, to a maximum of 1920 square feet.

(b)

The allowable new building area shall be computed by dividing the number of eligible pupils by the minimum required loading per classroom for special day classes for the type of pupils to be enrolled. No new or additional facility shall be provided for special day classes unless the number of additional eligible pupils equals one-third or more of the minimum required loading.

Source: Section 17047, https://leginfo.­legislature.­ca.­gov/faces/codes_displaySection.­xhtml?lawCode=EDC§ionNum=17047.­ (accessed May 26, 2025).

Last Updated

May 12, 2025

§ 17047’s source at ca​.gov