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Committee hears community preferences for closed school sites; members plan combined report and site tours
Summary
District staff summarized 117 community responses across meetings about Highland, Morningside and Kelso properties: common preferences were community centers, workforce/affordable housing, health/wellness clinics and adult education; the committee directed staff to draft a combined recommendation report with site-specific sections, schedule a site tour for Oct. 18, and to return with legal analysis on statutory constraints.
Assistant Superintendent Raphael Guzman delivered a refresher Sept. 25 on public input gathered about four closed district properties and what community members suggested for reuse.
Guzman said the district held multiple community sessions in April and received 117 responses. Responses varied by site but showed clear recurring themes: Highland respondents most often favored a community center, multifamily housing or holding the parcel for district flexibility; Kelso responses included commercial partnerships, parking or parcel leasing; Morningside respondents emphasized adult education, vocational training and workforce housing; Hudnall (small parcel) received interest in health or wellness clinics and workforce housing. Across sites the most common objections were repurposing parcels for industrial warehousing or selling them to private developers without district oversight.
Committee members discussed using the Worthington recommendation report as a template but agreed to keep site-specific analysis and recommendations. Counsel said prior Worthington recommendations included surplus declaration steps, short- and long-term leasing options, partnerships with public agencies or nonprofits, and exploring green-space development. Members asked counsel to draft report language that can also list uses the committee does not recommend, to respect community feedback.
Members confirmed acreage figures mentioned in discussion — Highland about 5.78 acres and Morningside about 30 acres — and learned that the adult school building is not habitable and therefore unavailable for immediate occupancy. The committee agreed to arrange a site tour of the properties on Saturday, Oct. 18 (9:00 a.m.), to be opened as a public meeting and live streamed so community members can observe.
During public comment John Martin, co-founder of Grace Hopper STEM Academy, asked the district to consider leasing Highland to his TK–8 charter school and described the school's STEM model and student supports.
The committee requested staff return with draft recommendation report(s), legal analysis of recent statutory changes and possible Surplus Land Act exemptions, and photographic/site materials ahead of the next meeting.
