Residents ask school board for community input on proposed Oracle Ridge sale

Board Vice President Jerri Taylor called the May 12 meeting to order and the board heard multiple public comments urging that the community be consulted before the district proceeds with any sale of the Oracle Ridge property.

At the start of the public comment period, resident Sue Parra said she wanted “the community of Oracle to have an input on the sale of Oracle Ridge” and asked the board to hold a public meeting that would include Oracle residents. Elvia Schwanke also asked the board to convene a community meeting so residents could express ideas about the property’s future.

Frank and Kaz Pierson told the board they had delivered a business proposal and said they were interested in the site being used for elder care in the community. The Piersons’ comments were presented as a formal expression of interest; the board did not vote on the matter at the meeting.

Other public commenters raised separate personnel and enrollment concerns: Mario Brogdon expressed worry about a staff resignation and the future of the school; Brenda Garcia, a registrar at Canyon Del Oro High School, said she is seeing fewer enrollments coming from Mt. Vista; and multiple teachers — Janice Vigil, Monique Lopez and Katrina Telles — submitted letters stating they will not return next school year.

Superintendent Crystle Nehrmeyer did not make a decision on the Oracle Ridge matter at the meeting but the board scheduled a July 14, 2025 regular meeting that will include a community discussion regarding the Oracle Ridge property and a public hearing tied to adoption of the district’s 2025–2026 annual budget. The July 14 agenda item provides the community an opportunity to present proposals and comments before the board takes any formal action.