Riverside Unified staff told trustees they are beginning preplanning for a potential second Highgrove elementary to respond to accelerating housing development.
Presentation slides showed multiple subdivisions under development in the Highgrove area, including an 846-unit project adjacent to the existing Highgrove school and other projects in the pipeline. The district owns a site known as “Highgrove 2” (Spring Street / water-tower landmark) that staff said was purchased in earlier decades as a future school site. Staff noted approximately $12 million in developer fees and community facilities district (CFD) funds have been tentatively assigned to this area and suggested the district could use the funds for preplanning and design activities well before construction becomes necessary.
Staff described the strategic benefit of early design work: developing a concept for a second neighborhood elementary and identifying options to relieve pressure at the existing Highgrove campus, which currently uses many portables. Trustees discussed options such as building a traditional neighborhood elementary, a K–8 or other grade-configuration models, and the timing of any project: some trustees urged that creating design concepts now will avoid last-minute rushes and create better outcomes once enrollment warrants construction.
Why it matters: Rapid residential growth can quickly change capacity needs; preplanning preserves funding and creates design readiness, but construction would require full project funding and a future board decision. Trustees emphasized the need to tie plans to enrollment monitoring, developer-fee availability and community engagement.
Next steps: staff will develop community meeting content and design concepts, bring back timing estimates and projected costs, and return to the board with options including K–8, traditional elementary, or other configurations for consideration.