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Consolidation & Future Use

Consolidation & Future Use

Future Use of Closed Campuses

Following a multi-year evaluation process to address declining enrollment and structural budget deficits, the Sonoma Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees finalized its school consolidation plan in Fall 2025. With the consolidation process complete, the district’s primary focus has shifted to the long-term, responsible management of our closed school campuses.

To ensure these community assets are managed with maximum transparency and community input, the district has convened a formal 7-11 Advisory Committee. This committee is tasked with reviewing property data, gathering community perspectives, and making formal recommendations to the Board regarding the future disposition or use of vacant district property.

To learn about the SVUSD 7-11 Advisory Committee, including upcoming meeting dates & locations, visit our 7-11 Advisory Committee Webpage. 

Property Process & Future Planning FAQs

The following frequently asked questions outline the state laws, public procedures, and financial regulations that govern how the district evaluates and determines the future use of closed school properties.

 

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  • At this time, the district does not have any finalized plans for the future use of  the Adele Harrison and Prestwood campuses. We are not currently negotiating any sale or lease, nor are we in contact with interested developers.

  • The process is governed by extensive state laws designed to ensure public input and transparency. It is a multi-step and typically lengthy process. The first required step is the formation of a surplus property advisory committee, commonly known as a "7-11" committee.

  • The 7-11 Committee is a surplus property advisory committee required by statute. It must consist of between 7 to 11 members who are representative of the community.

    • The committee will discuss whether the properties are surplus to the district's long-term needs.

    • It will consider potential future uses of the properties.

    • The committee's meetings are open to the public and include opportunities for public comment.

    • Once its study is complete, the committee will submit a publicly available report with its recommendations to the School Board at a public meeting. These recommendations are advisory, and the Board will make the final decision. The district has established a dedicated webpage for information on the 7-11 committee and its meetings.

  • If the Board determines a site is surplus and decides to explore a sale or lease, it triggers additional public procedures to ensure an open and competitive process:

    1. The district is legally required to give various public entities the first opportunity to lease or purchase the property.

    2. If those entities decline, the property must then be offered to members of the general public.

    3. Any final lease or sale must be Board-approved at a public meeting, providing a further opportunity for public input.

  • The sole beneficiaries of any sale or lease proceeds are the students of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District.

    • If a sale occurs: Proceeds are generally placed in a restricted fund that can only be used for infrastructure projects that support our schools.

    • If a lease occurs: Lease payments are typically unrestricted and can be used to supplement the general fund for operational expenses.

    Both scenarios help the district address its fiscal needs, allowing it to maintain focus on and expand program opportunities for students.

  • No. The Board will consider a diverse array of possibilities for the sites. Other potential outcomes include:

    • The Board may decide to retain the properties for future district needs.

    • The sites could be put to alternative uses that benefit the district.

    • The properties may be made available to other types of public or community organizations.

School Consolidation Historical Archive

📂 Historical Archive: SVUSD School Consolidation Timelines (2022–2026)

Public Transparency Notice: The data, milestones, and board actions recorded below represent the completed historical record of the school consolidation process within the Sonoma Valley Unified School District. These records are preserved for ongoing public reference.

⏳ For historical reference, families and community members can access past Consolidation FAQs and School Consolidation Committee materials below: 

   School Consolidation Committee (Archive)           School Consolidation FAQs (Archive)

  • Historical Context: Between 2012 and 2025, Sonoma Valley Unified experienced a sharp 40% drop in student enrollment, causing deep structural deficits. What began in 2022 as broad stability conversations formalized in 2023 with a data-driven Facilities Master Plan that established a targeted restructuring strategy.

    • Fall 2022 – The Conversation Begins

    Faced with worsening enrollment forecasts and structural budget pressures, the District began broad community outreach and facilities reviews to openly analyze district-wide configuration changes.

     

    • Spring 2023 – The Data Foundation: Facilities Master Plan Commissioned

    To move from general discussions to concrete action, the District partnered with architectural consultants Perkins Eastman to develop a comprehensive Facilities and Configuration Master Plan.

    The study assessed actual campus capacities, building conditions, and operational costs across the valley, launching public community surveys in March 2023 to gauge feedback on reshaping the district footprint. This data formally proved the district was maintaining excess facility capacity for its shrinking student population. Reference: Perkins Eastman Facilities Master Plan

     

    • March 9, 2023 – Initial Closure Proposal Deferred

    Using preliminary facilities data, the Board of Trustees evaluated an initial emergency proposal to close the Glen Ellen campus (Dunbar Elementary), which was operating at less than 50% capacity. The Board voted 3–2 to defer immediate closure, advising that the district design a more methodical, phased timeline first. Reference: March 9, 2023 Regular Board Meeting

     

    • March 25, 2023 – Facilities & Reconfiguration Study Session

    The Board convened for a Saturday morning public study session focused entirely on facility logistics and school safety. Facing immense community scrutiny following the deferred Dunbar vote, trustees used this workshop to openly debate the "domino effect" of school realignments and evaluate the structural layout changes required to right-size the district. Reference: March 25, 2023 Board Study Session

     

    • April 20, 2023 – Enrollment Suspended at Dunbar Elementary 

    Faced with dramatic fall projections indicating a plunge down to just 72 resident students at the site, the Board relied on the Master Plan data and voted unanimously to indefinitely suspend enrollment at Dunbar Elementary School, marking the first formal campus consolidation action. Reference: April 20, 2023 Regular Board Meeting

     

    • April 20, 2023 – The '3-1-1' Master Plan Directive Established

    Concurrently with the Dunbar action, the Board voted 5–0 to establish a clear baseline target to guide all future consolidations, utilizing the structural recommendations debated during the March study session. The formal directive established a goal to scale down the district's footprint to fit the student population: transitioning the valley to a 3 elementary schools, 1 centralized middle school, and 1 comprehensive high school model. Reference: April 20, 2023 Regular Board Meeting

     

    • September 14, 2023 – Final Facilities Master Plan Formally Adopted

    Following months of community workshops, data refinement, and the implementation of the first integration phase, the completed Perkins Eastman Facilities Master Plan was formally presented and officially adopted by the Board of Trustees to serve as the long-term operational roadmap for the district. Reference: September 14, 2023 Regular Board Meeting

     

    • November 2023 – Launch of the School Consolidation Committee Process

    Following district directives to address declining enrollment, the district formally launched the School Consolidation Committee process. The 17-member citizen advisory committee, appointed by the Superintendent, was tasked with analyzing district data and proposing specific scenarios for school closures and consolidations. The committee's mandate included exploring at least one scenario that would condense the district down to three elementary schools, one middle school, and one comprehensive high school. The committee was directed to evaluate campuses using a strict set of metrics, including facility conditions, operational costs, geographical distribution, and how to maintain equity for disadvantaged and English-learning students. Reference: School Consolidation Committee 

  • To address district-wide operational deficits and declining student enrollment, SVUSD shifted from a two-campus system to a single, unified middle school model. This historical ledger details the physical transition, community integration efforts, and the final identity shift that brought all Sonoma Valley middle school students together on a single campus.

    Historical Context: On December 13, 2024, the SVUSD Board of Trustees voted to close Adele Harrison Middle School at the conclusion of the 2024–25 academic year, consolidating all valley middle school operations onto the Altimira campus (now officially renamed Sonoma Valley Middle School).

    • November 2023 – Launch of the School Consolidation Committee Process

    Following district-wide directives to address declining student enrollment and structural budget deficits, SVUSD formally launched the School Consolidation Committee process. The 17-member citizen advisory committee was tasked with evaluating facility conditions, operational costs, geographical distribution, and equity impacts.

    The committee spent nearly a year analyzing data and developing reconfiguration scenarios.  Reference: School Consolidation Committee 

     

    • October 2024 – Committee Submits Findings Without Closure Recommendations

    The School Consolidation Committee concluded its year-long study and presented its final advisory report to the Board of Trustees during a study session on October 29, 2024. The committee declined to recommend specific elementary campuses for closure, handing the raw evaluation data back to the elected trustees for final determination. While their exhaustive data proved that maintaining two separate middle schools was fiscally unsustainable, the committee reached a strong consensus to explicitly advise the board to delay any middle school closures to a secondary phase, citing the complex social, cultural, and logistical hurdles of merging the valley's two student bodies by Fall 2025. Reference: October 29, 2024 Special Board Study Session

     

    • November 2024 – The Fiscal Pivot

    Following the committee's report, the district faced escalating multi-million dollar structural budget deficits and pressure from the state to present a balanced three-year budget or risk an immediate state takeover. Staring down this fiscal cliff, the Board of Trustees made the difficult strategic choice to reject the committee's requested delay of the middle school consolidation, determining that pausing the consolidation would prolong severe financial bleeding. Reference: November 14, 2024 Regular Board Meeting, November 18,2024 Special Board Meeting

     

    • December 13, 2024 – Board Approves Middle School Consolidation

    Acknowledging the immense gravity of the fiscal crisis, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to close Adele Harrison Middle School at the conclusion of the 2024–25 school year. By consolidating all local 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade operations onto the Altimira campus for the upcoming fall term, the unified board solidified a single middle school model. This historic resolution bypassed the committee's suggested delay out of legal and financial necessity, immediately kicking off an accelerated campus integration and facility modernization plan. Reference:  December 13, 2024 Regular Board Meeting

     

    • Spring 2025 – Campus Integration & Student Relationship Building

    Altimira leadership launched targeted integration campaigns to cultivate shared community roots between the two campuses prior to the physical merger:

    • Joint School Dance: An inclusive student social event helping incoming and returning peers connect.

    • Coordinated Field Trips: Shared 6th and 7th-grade trips to establish foundational peer relationships.

    • Student Listening Circles: Safe campus discussion groups giving students an active voice in shaping their new school culture.

    • Coffee Hours & Site Tours: Welcome breakfasts and orientation tours for transitioning families.

     

    • April 10, 2025 – Initial Renaming Request Tabled for 12 Months

    The Board evaluated an initial request to rename the Altimira campus to better signify a fresh start for the combined student bodies. Citing current budgetary constraints and the need to prioritize physical transition logistics, the Board voted to table the renaming item for exactly one year, requesting extensive student and staff polling data accompany its return. Reference:  April 10, 2025 Regular School Board Meeting

     

    • Summer 2025 – Capital Construction & Facility Modernization

    District infrastructure teams completed vital upgrades to support an expanded student population:

    • Recreational Overhaul: Removed outdated wall ball structures, opening up and completely resurfacing the central blacktop area.
    • Modular Classrooms: Performed comprehensive indoor/outdoor modular revamps including fresh paint, flooring updates, and critical roof replacements.
    • Faculty Infrastructure: Installed new industrial classroom cabinetry to provide inbound educators with expanded storage capacity.

     

    • August 2025 – Community Beautification & Garden Revival 

    In collaboration with the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation (SVEF) and the Sonoma Valley Rotary Clubs, scores of local volunteers performed a massive campus-wide work day. This community initiative completely prepped the campus grounds and revitalized the local Farm to Table garden space for interactive science learning.

     

    • August/September 2025 – Inaugural Unified Term Launches Successfully 

    The consolidated campus opened its doors to all local middle schoolers. Administration marked a highly successful, stable entry window, shifting daily focus directly onto unified academic tracking and expanded social-emotional support networks.

     

    • May 4, 2026 – Official Rename: Sonoma Valley Middle School Approved

    Following a full year of cohesive instructional operations and rigorous student and staff surveys, the Board of Trustees officially voted to rename the campus Sonoma Valley Middle School. This milestone action unites the entire valley under a single, shared middle school identity, retiring historical site rivalries. Reference: May 4, 2026 Regular School Board Meeting

     

  • Historical Context: Beginning in 2022, the District initiated a comprehensive evaluation to address declining student enrollment and structural budgetary challenges through elementary school consolidation. This process relied heavily on detailed facilities data, public commentary, and safety recommendations provided by the citizen-led School Consolidation Committee. Having already executed the difficult decisions to close Dunbar Elementary (2023) and Adele Harrison Middle School (2025) to consolidate into Altimira, the Board of Trustees shifted its focus to this final part of the district's restructuring footprint.

     

    • December 13, 2024 – Initial Closure Action Plan Established

    The Board of Trustees formally announced an operational plan to evaluate elementary campuses, selecting a specific school site for closure by May 8, 2025, with implementation slated for the conclusion of the 2025–26 school year. Reference: December 13, 2024 Regular Board Meeting

     

    • March 13, 2025 & April 22, 2025 – Public Input Review & Study Sessions?????

    Board of Trustees continued structural discussions, reviewing neighborhood impact data and public feedback during a regular session and a dedicated facility study session. Reference: March 13, 2025 Regular Board Meeting

     

    • May 8, 2025 – Conditional Resolution to Close Flowery Elementary

      The Board voted to close Flowery Elementary School at the end of the 2025–26 school year. A concurrent motion directed staff to evaluate relocating Flowery's Dual Immersion program under three potential configurations: (1) relocation to El Verano, (2) relocation to Sassarini, or (3) reconfiguration of the remaining sites into a TK–2 and 3–5 grade-span split model. 

      This initial resolution was explicitly conditioned upon completing three separate actions:

    1. Attendance Boundaries: Revising elementary district boundaries legally per Education Code.

    2. Transition Plan: Formulating a family outreach and student support roadmap.

    3. CEQA Review: Completing a full environmental impact study under the California Environmental Quality Act.

    Reference: May 8, 2025 Regular Board Meeting

     

    • June 17, 2025 – Flowery Closure Resolution Rescinded

    Following the receipt of updated logistical, environmental, and facility analysis concerning the requirements outlined on May 8, the Board of Trustees voted to rescind the resolution naming Flowery Elementary as the closure site. Reference: June 17, 2025 Regular Board Meeting

     

    • August 20 – Prestwood Campus Directed for Analysis

    During this study session, the Board redirected consolidation strategies. Trustees instructed staff to build out a formal transition plan and run a comprehensive cost/logistical analysis regarding the potential closure of Prestwood Elementary School. Reference: August 20, 2025 Study Session Board Meeting

     

    • September 11, 2025 – Prestwood Transition Analysis Presented

    Staff formally presented the logistical and cost projections for a Prestwood Elementary closure. The Board took no immediate action, tabling the item to allow for maximum community review ahead of an upcoming special meeting. Reference: September 11, 2025 Regular Board Meeting

     

    • September 23, 2025 – Intent to Consolidate Prestwood Passes

    Following intensive community feedback, the Board of Trustees voted 4–0 to adopt an initial resolution enabling the District to move forward with the potential consolidation of Prestwood Elementary. This action authorized the finalization of the required CEQA review and specific site transition planning. Reference:  September 23, 2025 Special Board Meeting

     

    • October 9, 2025 – Final Vote: Prestwood Elementary Closure Approved

    Following the completion of the required environmental reviews and logistical boundary reports, the Board of Trustees voted 4–1 to officially approve the closure of Prestwood Elementary School, effective at the conclusion of the 2025–26 school year. Reference:  October 9, 2025 Regular Board Meeting

     

    ??  Elementary Consolidation Community Engagement Note: Upon the decision to close Prestwood Elementary, the district formed a new School Consolidation Committee, with one parent and one staff represtative from each elementary school to ensure a broad range of perspectives was represented for the upcoming consolidation of Prestwood Elementary.  Families and staff were encouraged to share their thoughts and questions through the School Consolidation Comments & Questions Submission Form. Responses to commonly asked questions were posted and updated regularly on the Live Q&A page to help keep our community informed and connected. Community Forums were held on November 17 (Spanish session) and on November 20 (English session) to learn more and share input. Through this work, the district developed an  Elementary School Consolidation Transition Plan designed to ensure a compassionate, logistically sound merger of student bodies, balance future attendance boundaries, and support staff redistributions across the remaining campuses.

  • The following repository contains direct links to the official reports, master plans, and public records used to inform each phase of the school consolidation process.

     

    📄 SVUSD School Consolidation Comments & Questions Submission Form – Families, Staff & Community were invited to submit questions about school consolidation

     

    📄 Elementary School Consolidation Questions & Concerns 25-26 – A Q&A document that was shared live and was regularly updated to keep families and staff informed about the elemenrary consolidation

     

    📑 Elemenary School Consolidation Transition Plan – Document designed to ensure a compassionate, logistically sound merger of student bodies, balance future attendance boundaries, and support staff redistributions across the remaining campuses.

     

    📄 School Consolidation & Future Use of Closed Campuses –  Communcation shared by the district to the community regarding what will happen with closed campuses and the formation of the 7-11 commitee

     

    📑 Perkins Eastman Facilities Master Plan – The comprehensive, data-driven study adopted in September 2023 that analyzed campus building conditions, actual facility capacities, and operational costs across the valley to serve as the structural roadmap for right-sizing the district's footprint.

     

    📄 California Guidance Regarding Laws Governing School Closures  – Announcement from Attorney General Bonta regarding statewide guidance on school closures to ensure equitable access in education and prevent systemic discrimination in schools.