Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, a district which applies for an apportionment for the purchase of a site or for the cost of the preparation of plans and specifications, which is not a part of a construction project, shall make a separate application for the site or plans and specifications in the same manner as prescribed by Section 16024.

All of the provisions of this chapter apply to that application and apportionment except that:

(a) If the State Department of Education determines that within five years in the case of an application for an elementary grade level maintained by the district, or within seven years, in the case of an application for a high school grade level maintained by the district, from the date of the application for the site or for the plans and specifications, there will be sufficient enrollment in the district, based upon enrollment projection criteria adopted by the board, to show the need of such site or for the plans and specifications, it may approve the application. The board may modify a determination respecting future enrollment in connection with an application for an elementary grade level maintained by the district to utilize a period of seven years from the date of the application if it is necessary to meet the emergency conditions existing in that certain district due to a rapid increase in the enrollment of pupils, or due to the scarcity of land within the district, or both. Any application referred to the board pursuant to this section may be either approved in whole or in part, not exceeding the amount applied for, as the board may deem appropriate, pursuant to Sections 16024 and 16035, except that the board may approve additional portions of an application and make an additional apportionment or apportionments within five years of the original approval without requiring a district to issue additional bonds. No additional approval pursuant to the original application or apportionment thereunder may be made unless the board first has investigated and determined the necessity of the additional approval or apportionment, and has received a report thereon from the State Department of Education. Any provision of Section 16024 inconsistent with this section does not apply to that application. As used in this section, an “elementary grade level maintained by the district” is a grade level composed of the grades and maintained by the districts specified in clause (1) of subdivision (e) of Section 16002. As used in this section a “high school grade level maintained by the district” is a grade level composed of the grades and maintained by the districts specified in clause (2) of subdivision (e) of Section 16002.

(b) Section 16007 does not apply.

(c) An application for a site pursuant to this section may include an amount for the preparation of plans and specifications for school facilities and for the development of the site, which will conform to those eligible for construction under this chapter.

(d) If the application is approved and an apportionment granted therefor the district shall repay the full amount of the apportionment and the interest thereon. The repayment of the apportionment for a site and the interest thereon, may be over a period of years, not to exceed 30 years from the first day of January of the fiscal year next succeeding the fiscal year in which the apportionment became final. The repayment of the apportionment for plans and specifications, and the interest thereon, may be over a period of years, not to exceed 30 years from the first day of January of the second fiscal year succeeding the fiscal year in which such apportionment became final. The number of years allowed for repayment shall be determined by the board at the time it fixes interest on the apportionment. The repayment is in addition to any other repayment required under this chapter. If an apportionment is granted pursuant to this section for a site and the site is subsequently used in a construction project for which an apportionment is received under other provisions of this chapter, or if an apportionment is granted pursuant to this section for plans and specifications and the plans and specifications are subsequently used in a construction project for which an apportionment is received under other provisions of this chapter, the district shall not be required to make any further repayments for the site, or the plans and specifications, as the case may be, pursuant to this section and the unpaid balance of the apportionment and interest owing on the apportionment for the site, or the plans and specifications, as the case may be, pursuant to this section shall be added to the principal amount of the apportionment and accrued interest thereon for the construction project. The site is “subsequently used in a construction project” within the meaning of the preceding sentence, if it is used in connection with a construction project at the same grade level by any district receiving a construction apportionment therefor, as this is not intended as a change in the present law, but as a statement of the existing law. In addition, the site is “subsequently used in a construction project” within the meaning of that reference, if it is used in connection with the construction project by any district receiving a construction apportionment therefor at a different grade level, providing that in the latter instance the board in its discretion consents by resolution to the combination of the site and construction apportionments.

(Repealed and added by Stats. 1996, Ch. 277, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1997. Operative January 1, 1998.)