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Consultant outlines options for Perris Union High to monetize underused school land
Summary
An asset‑management briefing presented statutory surplus procedures and alternatives — including short‑term leases, joint‑occupancy ground leases and fee‑generating agreements (billboards, cell towers) — that could produce revenue for Perris Union High while preserving district uses, a consultant told trustees.
Serene Abrahamian, a partner at Orbach, Hough & Henderson, told the Perris Union High School District board on Jan. 25 that school districts increasingly treat property as a revenue asset and urged trustees to begin by inventorying the full universe of district‑owned parcels. "Managing a district's properties with a priority to school functions" and then planning for joint use or leasing, she said, can generate long‑term revenue without surrendering district control.
Abrahamian summarized the three stages of the statutory surplus process required when a district seeks to sell or long‑term lease property: (1) the board declares property surplus; (2) a 7‑to‑11 committee reviews and issues a recommendation in open session under the Brown Act; and (3) the district conducts a public offering and open bidding process. She noted the former right‑of‑first‑refusal for charter schools expired on 07/01/2016.
But Abrahamian emphasized alternatives that avoid surplusing: short‑term leases (up to five years) allow sole‑source arrangements for interim uses such as parking or adult‑education classes; fee‑generating statutes can underpin commercial uses such as cell‑tower or billboard leases (contract terms up to 35 years); and joint‑occupancy or ground‑lease public‑private partnerships can run up to 99 years while requiring the district to retain a presence on the site. Those ground‑lease deals, she said, allow a developer to finance improvements while guaranteeing district use of specific space — for example, meeting rooms, recreational facilities or data centers.
Trustees asked how waivers from State Board bidding rules work; Abrahamian said districts increasingly petition the State Board of Education to waive formal open bidding and allow an RFP process, which can be faster and let the district specify desired uses. She cautioned that waivers add timeline uncertainty because State Board agendas can fill up, so districts should plan months ahead.
Board members requested local examples and staff support. Abrahamian and the district identified previously retained vacant land purchased for a middle school and portions of joint‑use parks as candidate sites. The board discussed using a theater for civic events, renting athletic facilities, and allowing private developers to contribute capital improvements as part of long‑term partnerships. "You have the opportunity to get fair market rent," Abrahamian advised, adding that clear board findings are required to assure leases "do not interfere with educational programs or jeopardize the safety of children."
Next steps: Abrahamian said her firm will provide title searches and a property inventory for the district, and trustees directed staff to return with zoning information, facility lists and proposals for possible short‑term pilot leases and an approach to requesting a State Board waiver if the board elects to pursue one.
The session ended with board members asking finance and facilities staff to quantify recurring costs and potential revenue streams before any decision to surplus or lease.
The board received this briefing as an informational item; no final policy or contract was adopted at the meeting.
