Montebello board directs superintendent to draft resolution on nearby data centers and battery storage

The Montebello School District Board of Education voted to ask the superintendent to prepare a resolution for the board’s next meeting that would explore possible health, cost and community impacts of data centers and battery storage facilities near district boundaries.

Board members raised the issue during oral reports after tracking social- and news-media conversations about proposed facilities in neighboring jurisdictions. One board member said the district is “borderline” to City of Industry and El Monte and urged the board to consider a resolution to ensure the district’s position on student and community well‑being is clear.

The superintendent, who said the district has not been approached about hosting a data center, told the board he first learned of the issue through media coverage and that the district is not currently seeking such facilities. Still, the board’s majority agreed to direct the superintendent to prepare language on research questions and possible next steps for review at the next meeting.

Board members described the draft resolution as a fact‑finding and advocacy tool — not an immediate opposition — and suggested options ranging from requesting more information about public health and financial impacts to considering model language similar to neighboring districts’ actions. The board chair confirmed the direction after a brief discussion and recorded the majority’s agreement.

The board’s action is procedural: it asks staff to prepare a resolution for future consideration, not to adopt policy tonight. The superintendent also noted he had fielded media inquiries and reiterated that, to his knowledge, no proposals had been formally made to the district.

Next steps: the superintendent will prepare proposed resolution language and supporting research for board review at a future meeting.