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Santa Rosa City Schools advisory panel hears Brown Act rules, funding limits and schedules extra meeting
Summary
At an orientation meeting, Santa Rosa City Schools' 7 11 advisory committee reviewed legal duties under the Brown Act and Education Code, heard how surplus-property proceeds are restricted, raised conflict-of-interest concerns, and agreed to amend a March meeting date.
Santa Rosa City Schools' newly formed 7 11 advisory committee met in an orientation session where staff outlined the committee's statutory role, legal requirements under the Brown Act, and options for handling district surplus properties.
Staff told members the panel is advisory — charged to review data and recommend whether to declare closed school sites surplus and, where appropriate, to suggest uses in the public interest. Jenny Birdman, the district's director of facilities bond and technology and a former Santa Rosa City Schools facilities director, listed the three sites the committee will focus on: Orchard Hill Elementary School, Lewis Early Learning Academy and the Santa Rosa French American Charter school. "You will deliberate, and then, ultimately, the goal is to provide a recommendation," staff said during the presentation.
Why it matters: sale or lease of district property can affect capital funding and the district's eligibility for state matching dollars. Staff warned that revenue from leases and sales is generally restricted to capital maintenance, capital improvements or related facilities uses and cannot be repurposed to the general fund without state approval under the applicable Education Code provision. Staff said improper use of proceeds can risk participation in state school facility programs and, in some cases, lead to a request to repay funds.
Committee members pressed for detail and for legal clarity. One member asked whether the committee should recommend only whether to surplus a site or also specify preferred public-interest uses; staff confirmed the committee may advise on both the decision to surplus and recommended uses. Members also raised conflict-of-interest concerns: a member asked whether community members or developers with an interest in redevelopment would be required to recuse themselves. Staff said legal counsel will be asked to provide written guidance; one committee member stated for the record that his company, although an active real-estate developer, will not submit proposals to the district.
The district also reviewed meeting rules and public-access requirements: agendas must be posted 72 hours in advance, a quorum is five of nine members, public comment must be limited to topics within the committee's purview, and members were cautioned not to conduct committee business via serial communications or social media (staff warned that simple actions like "liking" a post could be construed as committee communication). Staff said committee materials and an FAQ for parking-lot questions will be posted on the committee web page and that staff will circulate written answers between meetings.
On scheduling and next steps, staff said the committee will receive facility and financial data (including CALPADS enrollment figures and interim financial reports) at the next meeting and asked members to hold an optional sixth meeting (staff suggested May 12) if more time is needed. Committee members then agreed to amend the calendar: Jenny Birdman moved to change the March 17 meeting to March 24 (same time and place); the motion was seconded and acknowledged by the chair. Staff will seek written legal guidance on conflicts of interest and will post statutory citations and more detailed allocation examples before the next meeting.
The committee adjourned after the orientation; staff confirmed the meeting was being recorded and that they will prepare minutes for committee review at the next session.
