Mountain View Whisman trustees approve purchase of land under staff housing, authorize COP reimbursement resolution

Mountain View — The Mountain View Whisman School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve a purchase of the land under the district’s staff housing development and adopted a separate resolution of intent to reimburse expenditures from tax‑exempt obligations, the board announced in open session. The board approved a purchase and sale agreement for 699 North Shoreline Boulevard for $53,300,000 and separately approved a resolution of intent related to certificates of participation financing; both votes were 5–0.

Board members and staff framed the vote as a step to stabilize the teacher‑housing project’s long‑term finances by removing an expensive ground lease, while some public speakers urged the board to slow down and criticized prior negotiations.

Chief Business Officer Rebecca Westover told trustees the staff housing complex at the Sevens is a 144‑unit community opened in February 2025 that includes 123 below‑market‑rate (BMR) units for district employees, 20 units reserved for City of Mountain View employees, and — as of the presentation — 51 occupied units. Westover said the district currently pays a ground lease that costs roughly $1.9 million annually and escalates with CPI and that removing the lease is central to making the project financially sustainable.

"The district's purchase price for the land will be $53,300,000," Westover said in her presentation, adding that the purchase would relieve the district of ground‑lease payments "either past or present." She said funding would come from a combination of district capital funds and financing. Up to $29,000,000 would be drawn from…