The Western Placer Unified School District board on Nov. 4 approved a contested attendance-boundary change affecting Lincoln Crossing by a 4–0–1 vote after more than an hour of public testimony and staff briefings on district financing.

The board considered multiple facility and boundary items, including a plan to convert First Street Elementary to add capacity for Glen Edwards Middle School (staff recommended beginning reassignment no earlier than the 2027–28 school year) and a temporary assignment framework for students in the developing Village 7 area. Trustees emphasized that staff will work with families and schools to minimize disruption; specific implementation steps and any phased timelines were left to staff to develop.

Community members at the public hearing questioned why local development fees and Community Facilities District (CFD) taxes had not resulted in a dedicated middle school for Lincoln Crossing. One resident summarized the community’s grievance about past financing and promises: "there seems to be some lack of understanding as to the word shall," and urged the board to honor priority attendance language in the CFD documents.

The board heard detailed financial context from Cathy Domenico of Capital PFG and Katie Carlson, the district’s chief business official. Domenico explained that CFD special-tax collections have been applied to COP debt service for four projects and that the district must look at the proportionality of benefit — "what proportion did they fund, and what does that entitle [them] to?" She said CFD revenues were used to pay certificates of participation and to reduce risk to the district general fund while waiting for state reimbursement.

Carlson described the district’s ongoing audit and COP repayment reporting: the district presents an annual COP repayment update and the auditors verify financial statements and the appropriate uses of restricted capital funds.

Public commenters also pressed trustees about the district’s long-term COP borrowing. Staff noted total COP borrowings of about $128 million and projected total debt-service obligations (principal and interest at maturity) on the order of several hundred million dollars. One commenter asked whether CFD collections were used to fund the projects that the CFDs listed; staff replied CFD collections have been applied to COP repayment and are part of the designated COP fund balance used for annual debt service.

Trustees discussed alternatives, including changes to grade configurations or splitting the district bond planning into smaller, geographically focused facility-improvement districts. Staff said a facility-improvement bond limited to a portion of the district could be considered in the 2026 or 2028 election cycle, and that implementation would take several years after voter approval.

After deliberation, the board approved the Lincoln Crossing boundary change (motion recorded as passing 4–0–1). Trustees asked staff to focus on transition supports for students and to continue coordination with finance staff on potential bond options and timing.

Votes at a glance

- Lincoln Crossing attendance-boundary change: passed 4–0–1.
- Village 7 temporary assignment (students assigned to existing schools until new school opens): passed 5–0.

The board directed staff to return with timelines and detailed transition plans for affected schools and families.