A "7-11 Committee" (officially known as a Surplus Property Advisory Committee in California) is a temporary committee formed by a school district to advise its governing board on the best use or disposition of school buildings or property that are no longer needed for educational purposes.
Why they're formed: School districts often form these committees when they have declining enrollment, consolidate schools, or determine that certain properties are "surplus" or "excess" to their current needs. The goal is to ensure community involvement in decisions about these properties.
The "7-11" name: This refers to the California Education Code, which mandates that the committee must have a minimum of seven and a maximum of eleven members.
Who are the members? To ensure a diverse perspective, members are typically drawn from various segments of the community, including:
Parents of students
Teachers and administrators
Members of the business community (e.g., store owners, managers)
Landowners or renters (often with preference given to neighborhood association representatives)
Individuals with expertise in areas like environmental impact, legal contracts, building codes, and land use planning.
What they do: Their main responsibilities include:
Reviewing school enrollment and facility data to identify surplus space.
Establishing a priority list of potential uses for the surplus property that are acceptable to the community.
Conducting public hearings to gather community input on these potential uses.
Making recommendations to the school board regarding the use, lease, or sale of the identified properties.
Advisory role: It's important to note that the 7-11 Committee's recommendations are advisory only. The final decision on the use or disposition of the property rests with the school district's governing board.
Transparency: Meetings of a 7-11 Committee are open to the public and conducted in compliance with public meeting laws (like the Brown Act in California), ensuring transparency in the process.