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Mill Valley School District outlines middle school modernization plan and EIR timeline
Summary
District staff presented proposed two‑story campus plans for the middle school, said the project will follow the CEQA EIR path, reported nighttime soil sampling with over 200 borings, and set a draft EIR for March 2025 and an expected final in August 2025.
Julio Royal, director of maintenance operations and safety for the Mill Valley School District, opened a public briefing saying the district will share updates on a proposed middle school modernization project and the environmental process intended to prioritize student and staff safety.
Sandrine Hitchcock, program and construction manager with AOM, said the district’s 2021 facility master plan and Measure G funding (about $194 million) set the middle school as the program’s principal focus. Hitchcock said board direction favored a two‑story design to preserve outdoor space and allow future expansion; the current design is based on a 950‑student model and includes two main two‑story wings, a single entry point from Sycamore, fenced site access and a north single‑story art wing.
“The district is required by law to follow the California Environmental Quality Act and has elected to prepare an environmental impact report,” Hitchcock said, describing the EIR’s role in comparing the proposed project to alternatives and in soliciting public and agency input.
Hitchcock said the EIR process will examine roughly 13 alternatives grouped into categories including a no‑project option, use of other district properties, and non‑district sites for permanent or temporary campuses. She also told listeners that historical records show the middle school site was formerly used as a dump and that the district is coordinating with the county and the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to evaluate any contamination risks.
As part of that review, Hitchcock described a preliminary assessment and an approved work plan that specified soil borings and sampling. “I believe there’s more than 200 borings,” she said; staff reported that sampling was conducted at night to minimize disruption, that samples are currently being tested, and that preliminary sample results are expected at the end of this month with a draft technical report anticipated by January.
On public participation, Hitchcock said the district issued a notice of preparation in summer (the initial public comment opportunity), will release the draft EIR in March 2025 and—though CEQA requires a 30‑day review—the district will provide 45 days for public comment. She said the district currently anticipates completing the final EIR around August 2025; only after the EIR is final can the board select a project and the district advance planning steps (staff noted October was the earliest projected resumption of planning work).
Staff also outlined interim housing options should construction require demolition of the existing campus: east‑side portable buildings to house seventh and eighth graders and potential relocation of sixth graders to Edna (options not finalized). Hitchcock said the existing gym and portables on the north side would remain during construction to provide visual and acoustic buffering from the construction zone.
All documents and sampling results will be posted on DTSC and county websites when available, and staff invited community questions via the district communications email provided during the briefing. The district emphasized the EIR will be the formal venue for evaluating alternatives, environmental impacts, and public input before any final project selection.
