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El Rancho Board directs voter and staff survey, feasibility work on workforce housing proposal
Summary
Following a presentation on district-owned workforce housing models, the board asked staff to conduct an opinion and staff-interest survey and to pursue feasibility work for housing on district land, citing retention and recruitment benefits.
The El Rancho Unified School District board on Jan. 20 directed staff to move forward with preliminary ballots and feasibility steps to explore building workforce housing on district-owned land.
The board heard a multi-district briefing from Dr. Steve Martinez, superintendent of Twin Rivers Unified, who described the district-owned housing model his district developed: a mixed portfolio of 136 units (single‑family and townhome-style units) that are prioritized for employees, rented at below-market rates and intended to become a long-term district asset. "By being district‑owned, we control who lives there and retain the asset and revenue stream," Dr. Martinez said. He stressed the importance of surveying employees and the neighborhood, performing a market analysis and establishing a third‑party oversight committee for administration.
Nonprofit partner and program representative Jorge Cordova described the equity-focused nonprofit approach used in Twin Rivers, which preserved district control and targeted units for classified and certificated staff.
Board members focused on transparency and community engagement. Consultant Mark Frell, appearing earlier in the meeting to discuss bond timing, advised that a voter-opinion survey is typically run across the district voter file (phone, cell, email, text) to test support for bond measures and related projects. Trustees asked that any survey and outreach be available in English and Spanish and that the district publish clear, labeled signage and materials showing "bond dollars at work" for completed projects.
The board provided direction to proceed with a voter-opinion survey and a staff-interest survey and to explore next steps in feasibility, planning to consider March survey results ahead of any later ballot decision. Staff will also examine CSBA resources and Twin Rivers’ materials to inform a feasibility study and community engagement strategy.
