(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a school district that has, within the previous 24-month period, constructed or otherwise acquired school facilities with 100 percent local funding, may apply for funding for the construction of a gymnasium or multipurpose room on the site where it constructed or otherwise acquired school facilities with 100 percent local funding.

(b) If the State Allocation Board determines that the schoolsite does not have adequate gymnasium or multipurpose room facilities, the board may approve the application pursuant to this section.

(c) For an application approved pursuant to this section, the board shall grant the school district a credit against its local matching share requirement of up to 50 percent of the costs of the project or the total local funds expended by the school district on any school facilities funded by 100 percent local funds within the immediately preceding 24-month period, whichever is less.

(d) For an application approved under this section, the project shall be accorded the priority status that is otherwise accorded under Section 17017.7 to a project for which state funding is requested for only 50 percent of the costs.

(e) As used in this section “100 percent local funding” includes construction or acquisition of a school facility with 40 percent funding from the general fund of the school district and with the remainder of the local funding from the sale of surplus school property.

(Added by Stats. 1998, Ch. 941, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1999.)