School facilities fees - Calaveras Unified and Bret Harte Union HSD areas

Levied by Calaveras Unified School District; Bret Harte Union High School District (jointly with Vallecito Union School District and with Mark Twain Union Elementary School District in their respective attendance areas) on new development in Calaveras County (unincorporated). Authorized under the Ed. Code Sec. 17620; Gov. Code Sec. 65995 et seq. (statutory school facilities fee).

What one house pays

$10,760

For a typical home: a 2,000 sq ft detached house on a 0.13 acre lot, on a new subdivision lot — this fee varies by zone, so see the full schedule below.

Share of Calaveras County (unincorporated)'s total: 12%

Total one-time fees here: $86,316

Adjustment: Adjusts only when the board sets a new amount
what the document says
by resolution — each district's governing board adopts the amount; the statutory Level I ceiling above it is adjusted every two years by the State Allocation Board. No district document retrieved contains an automatic escalator.

The record

Why it exists

“It is a requirement of AB 1600 that the District identify the purpose of the fee. The purpose of fees being levied shall be used for the replacement and/or modernization of school facilities. The District will provide for the replacement and/or modernization of school facilities, in part, with developer fees.”

"Level I Developer Fee Study for Mark Twain Union Elementary School District", April 22, 2024, section "STATEMENT TO IDENTIFY PURPOSE OF FEE", report p.26; this is the ELEMENTARY district's study in the Bret Harte / Mark Twain area, not Bret Harte's own · source document ↗

What it pays for

“E) Expenditures: The district used $191,201 of the fees collected during 2024-25 towards its principal and interest payments on its Certificates of Participation.”

Calaveras USD Developer Fee Findings and Public Information Report, FY July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025, lettered item E, running prose · source document ↗

Where it applies

“SCHOOL FEES / SCHOOL DISTRICT | RESIDENTIAL FEE | COMMERCIAL FEE / Calaveras Unified | $5.38/sf | $0.87/sf / Bret Harte / Vallecito | $5.38/sf | $0.85/sf / Bret Harte / Mark Twain | $5.38/sf | $0.87/sf”

County of Calaveras Building Department, "FEE SCHEDULE EFFECTIVE AUGUST 8TH 2026", p.2, table captioned "SCHOOL FEES"; the whole table is three rows and the county names no other school district area · source document ↗

When it was adopted

2024-12-21 (Calaveras Unified SD only, as that district states it) | Bret Harte Union HSD: NOT FOUND

“B) Amount of Fee: 1. Level I: $5.17 per square foot approved December 21st, 2024”

Calaveras Unified School District, "DEVELOPER FEE FINDINGS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION REPORT / July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025", lettered item B, running prose in a lettered list A–H, not a table; also reproduced on the sheet headed "EXHIBIT A" · source document ↗

Who collects it

County of Calaveras Building Department

“County of Calaveras / Building Department / Phone: (209) 754-6390 / Email: [email protected] / Website:”

· source document ↗

Who is exempt

“Residential Addition | $4,020 | $2,010 | 500+ | 500+”

County of Calaveras Building Department Fee Schedule effective August 8th 2026, p.1, table "BUILDING PERMITS", row label "Residential Addition", columns "SCHOOL" and "FIRE" both reading "500+"; every other residential row in that column reads "YES" or "NO" · source document ↗

Every published rate

Every rate below applies to residential.

Rate	Basis	Effective	Amount
Bret Harte UHSD / Vallecito Union SD area
this homeunverified	per sq ft	8 Aug 2026	$5.38
“Bret Harte / Mark Twain \| $5.38/sf \| $0.87/sf” County of Calaveras Building Department, "FEE SCHEDULE EFFECTIVE AUGUST 8TH 2026", p.2, table captioned "SCHOOL FEES", column heading "RESIDENTIAL FEE", row label "Bret Harte / Mark Twain" · source document ↗
Bret Harte UHSD / Mark Twain Union ESD area
this homeunverified	per sq ft	8 Aug 2026	$5.38
“Bret Harte / Mark Twain \| $5.38/sf \| $0.87/sf” County of Calaveras Building Department, "FEE SCHEDULE EFFECTIVE AUGUST 8TH 2026", p.2, table captioned "SCHOOL FEES", column heading "RESIDENTIAL FEE", row label "Bret Harte / Mark Twain" · source document ↗
Calaveras Unified SD
	per sq ft	21 Dec 2024	$5.17
the line this rate was read from “B) Amount of Fee: 1. Level I: $5.17 per square foot approved December 21st, 2024” Calaveras Unified School District, "DEVELOPER FEE FINDINGS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION REPORT / July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025", item B.1 — running prose in a lettered list, NOT a table; there is no table caption, column heading or row label to name · source document ↗

The record

Every published rate

About these figures