Inglewood asset committee advances Highland and Kelso recommendations after debate over short-term Think True lease

The Inglewood Unified School District Asset Management Committee on Feb. 24 reached consensus to move forward with separate recommendations for the Highland and Kelso school sites, to include a recommendation to pursue opportunities tied to major events such as the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, and to ask staff to monitor related city projects as it continues disposition planning.

The action followed a presentation by Landis Grama of DCG Strategies on land‑use and adjudicated water‑rights for the Kelso and Morningside properties, a fiscal briefing from Rafael Guzman on how sale proceeds and lease income must be treated under education‑fund accounting, and an extended discussion about a six‑month joint‑use lease between the district and Think True LLC that included demolition activity that surprised nearby residents.

Why it matters: The committee’s recommendations set the advisory direction that staff will carry to the board and the public‑hearing process. They affect whether district property is sold, leased short‑term or kept for future use and whether revenues from leases will be available for general‑fund needs or restricted to capital projects.

Landis Grama, chief executive officer of DCG Strategies, summarized a market analysis and the district’s leverage in recent negotiations, explaining that the West Coast Basin’s water rights are adjudicated and that the district captured a “strategic premium” because a parcel’s location gave the city a particular operational value. “So the district was able to get a strategic premium because of the underlying utility to the city for that particular location,” Grama said.

Committee member John Hughes pressed staff about timing and notice, saying the demolition and site work moved quickly and left neighbors and some board advisors surprised. Hughes asked the committee to be apprised of negotiations if a short‑term lease develops into a longer arrangement. “The chief concern from the public standpoint was the timing … that demolition had taken place … how fast that situation moved,” Hughes said.

County Administrator Dr. James Morris acknowledged the concerns and apologized for not notifying committee members before demolition began during winter break. “I will publicly say I should have picked up the phone and called every one of the asset management committee members to let you know what was going on before folks started seeing the demolition happen on Jan. 3,” Dr. Morris said, adding a commitment to improved communication "to the extent legally we’re allowed to." He said the short‑term agreement was negotiated in late December and that the district made statutory findings required for a joint‑use authorization.

Legal and staff representatives explained that the property had earlier been declared surplus in a separate process but that the short‑term use fell under joint‑use statutes authorizing leases of limited duration. One staff member referenced notice and posting requirements that must accompany lease items when brought for board ratification and cited the Brown Act in describing public‑meeting requirements.

On finance, Rafael Guzman told the committee that sale proceeds must be deposited into capital‑outlay funds (commonly fund 35 or fund 40) and used for facilities projects, while certain leases can be structured to generate unrestricted general‑fund revenue that could be used for salaries or other operating expenses. “If we lease a property and we generate revenue, they could be used for unrestricted purposes,” Guzman said, while cautioning that not every lease qualifies for unrestricted use and that attorneys must review lease structure.

Committee members discussed a range of potential uses for Highland and Kelso — from workforce or multifamily housing that generates ongoing revenue to temporary event or training space tied to LA 2028. One committee member suggested drafting specific language to call out LA 2028 and other major events; staff agreed to add that recommendation and prepare the Highland recommendations as a separate report for the next meeting and for a public‑hearing component.

The committee also received and filed a formal proposal for the Highland site from LA Christian Academy (doing business as Inglewood Christian Academy) for transparency; staff said the receipt does not constitute board approval and any formal lease or sale would require subsequent public posting and board action.

Next steps: Staff will update the report with the committee’s edits — including the LA 2028 language — separate the Highland recommendations, incorporate the highlighted clarifications, and bring the revised report and public‑hearing schedule back to the committee at its next meeting in March. Staff also offered to invite city staff to brief the committee on the Inglewood Next/people‑mover project so members can factor city planning into disposition decisions.

The meeting adjourned by motion at about 6:33 p.m.