Board hears San Antonio campus design, DSA submittals and phased bond schedule; neighbors raise concerns about school relocations
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Summary
District staff described schematic design, DSA submittals and a four‑series bond financing plan for the San Antonio campus; speakers during public comment urged either placing a charter at the site or preserving neighborhood schools, and trustees reiterated a prior vote to allocate the campus as the site for a charter school.
District staff updated trustees on the San Antonio campus design and financing at the Jan. 26 meeting, outlining recent progress and next steps in a multi-year redevelopment plan.
Staff recapped the site’s history: the district purchased the San Antonio Center in 2019, completed CEQA in June 2024 and approved schematic designs in October 2025. Incremental submissions to the Division of State Architect (DSA) have begun; staff said "increment 1"—demolition and site utilities—was submitted in December and that they hope to submit "increment 2" for the prefabricated buildings in mid‑March. Staff said demolition is anticipated to begin in mid‑June with foundations and building pads installed by the end of the year.
Financing will be staged across four series of Measure E bond sales to stay within a tax burden limit for property owners, staff said. The proposed bond-sale schedule calls for sales in 2026, 2028, 2030 and 2032; district staff said pay‑as‑you‑go phasing and a high credit rating have reduced projected interest costs for taxpayers.
Board member Stella reminded the public that the board voted in October to allocate San Antonio to Volus Charter School as the site’s first occupant; she said she wanted to be clear that the October decision stands. Several public commenters urged different approaches: some speakers, including Sam Pruitt and Herb Marshall, supported using the San Antonio site to add capacity and place charter programs there; others, notably Melanie Anderson, said moving neighborhood schools like Block and Egan would disrupt walkable school access, child‑care networks and family routines and argued that placing the charter at San Antonio would best preserve neighborhood stability.
Staff said recent schematic discussions have focused on campus supervision, grade‑level configuration and interior finishes. Staff also described coordination with the city of Mountain View for parks and fields and said design reviews have covered HVAC and daylighting. The district will continue stakeholder meetings and return to the board with project lists and timelines for Measure E spending in coming months.
No formal action was taken tonight on the campus allocation. Staff said they will continue DSA submittals and plan weekly design meetings.
