Eligible Schools

In order to participate in the ORG Program, districts must have school sites deemed eligible by the California Department of Education (CDE) based on population density, utilizing the 2005/06 California Basic Educational Data Systems (CBEDS). The school site must have a pupil population density equal to or greater than 175 percent of CDE's recommended population density. Additionally, population density will be reduced when applicable to account for multistory construction and approved new construction projects, including approved apportionments for the Critically Overcrowded Schools (COS) Program. In order to determine their eligible schools, districts should submit the Overcrowding Relief Grant Eligibility Determination (link) form for each school site to the CDE. This program does not require new construction eligibility and is based upon eligibility determined by CDE.

Eligible Pupils

Each district will have a district wide (or High School Attendance Area/Super High School Attendance Area) eligibility bank, which can be utilized at any eligible school. The district wide eligibility will be determined by the number of portables that were included in the initial new construction baseline determination, multiplied by the applicable State loading standard (i.e. K-6: 25, 7-12: 27, non-severe: 13, and severe: 9). Districts may establish eligibility prior to or concurrently with the submittal of a funding application. The Overcrowding Relief Grant District-wide Eligibility Determination, (Form SAB 50-11) (PDF) has been developed for this purpose.

Pupils who are housed in Class Size Reduction (CSR) portables must be reduced from the number of eligible pupils pursuant to EC Section 17079.10 (a). In order to accomplish this, each elementary school application submitted will be adjusted based on a pro-rate of the number of district wide CSR portables and elementary schools. Districts will certify to the OPSC on the Form SAB 50-11 the total number of CSR portables district wide, as well as the total number of elementary schools in the district. Then the number of portables will be divided by the number of elementary schools to determine the average number of CSR portables at each elementary school. This will be a one-time determination. Each elementary school funding application pupil grant request will be reduced by the average number of portables per elementary school, multiplied by 25 (State loading standard for K-6).

Districts request funding by submitting a complete ORG application package to the OPSC, which includes an Application for Funding (Form SAB 50-04). The Form SAB 50-04 requests a narrative describing how the project relieves overcrowding. Site visits may be conducted by OPSC to verify information reported by districts. Site modernization eligibility is reduced to account for the replaced portables.

The Architect’s Submittal Guidelines (PDF) and the Presentation on Additional Grant for Site Development Costs (PPT) contain detailed information for school districts and architects to prepare project plans, specifications, and cost estimates for project applications.

Please note: ORG projects may be subject to Prevailing Wage Monitoring/Labor Compliance Program requirements (link).

The SFP Compliance Review page contains detailed information on compliance review requirements, including substantial progress and expenditure reporting.

Under the ORG, design and site apportionments will not be available to financial hardship districts. Districts will have the option of acquiring a loan to fund the design and planning of their projects, and if it is determined that the district qualifies for financial hardship assistance, the State will pay up to the district's full matching share at the full grant apportionment. Because of the filing periods and requirement to fund the highest density projects first, the OPSC cannot guarantee the availability of funds once the district is prepared to submit a full grant application. The financial hardship regulations allow bridge financing loans for the ORG and protect the loan from being considered a district contribution towards the district's School Facility Program projects.