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Committee recommends leasing, not selling, three closed school sites
Summary
A community advisory committee concluded three closed elementary sites are surplus and urged the board to prioritize leasing to community-serving programs, early-childhood providers and adult-education uses rather than selling the sites.
A district advisory panel charged with assessing surplus property recommended that the board declare three closed elementary sites surplus and pursue leasing rather than sale, citing community-serving reuse as the priority.
"Part 1 of our committee findings and recommendation, the committee finds that the properties once again of Los Arables, Ramblewood, McKinley are surplus to the district needs, and the committee recommends that the board declares the properties as surplus for the educational needs of the district and the community, and that the board pursue leasing the properties," Gilbert, the committee chair, told trustees. The committee voted unanimously to adopt the report after three public hearings on Aug. 20, Sept. 3 and Sept. 17.
The committee provided an ordered list of preferred lease priorities, placing community-serving programs first (sports, arts, after-school programs), followed by early-childhood development, subsidized childcare, technical/adult education or career-development uses, community-college extension courses, workforce housing or startup space, and other uses. It also recommended consolidation of charter campuses "if feasible" and advised the board to avoid sale, leasing to affordable-housing projects, leasing to private schools, and adding new charter schools within the district.
Vice Chair Ashley Ferreria emphasized the report reflects the limited but aligned community feedback the committee collected: "That was our general consensus, whether it be a town hall or more of a presence at various community events ..." Trustee Rodriguez raised concerns about outreach depth, noting only 108 survey respondents were recorded during committee outreach and urging broader engagement beyond ParentSquare.
The committee framed its recommendations as a policy framework for the board, not a directive to select tenants. Staff and trustees said the board must later take formal action to declare property surplus and then pursue lease negotiations and additional local engagement.
The report and committee materials are posted on the district website for review; trustees asked staff to return with measurable criteria for leases to ensure community benefit.
