Wednesday: Sylvan Middle School Community Forum

A community forum to discuss options for addressing aging facilities at Sylvan Middle School in Citrus Heights will be hosted by the San Juan Unified School District at 6:30 p.m Wednesday.

Following an overall “D-” grade from a DLR Group assessment commissioned by the District in 2013, consideration of closing the 76-year-old school was discussed and a community brainstorming meeting was held on April 23, with five ideas being currently floated as potential solutions.

Ideas include fixing Sylvan Middle School, rebuilding it, moving it to new facilities at Mesa Verde High School, or moving it to the campus of either Carriage Drive Elementary or Citrus Heights Elementary. A detailed description of each idea can be viewed at the District’s website.

The District says its interest is “to select the most affordable option that meets current priorities and needs,” and considers community input to be “vital” in the selection process.

Cost estimates for the five proposed solutions range from $5 million to $40 million, with the cheapest option being to move Sylvan to Carriage Drive Elementary’s campus and the most expensive being to rebuild the school, according to District estimates.

As long as enrollment is maintained, the District says it does not anticipate any teachers losing jobs under any of the proposed solutions, although a statement on the District’s website indicates a possibility for reduction in administrative and support staffing if a school site were closed.

Questions or feedback regarding Sylvan Middle School facility options can asked at Wednesday’s meeting, or be submitted to the District via an online submission form.

A school board decision is expected in November, with first possible changes taking place as early as Fall 2015.

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Community Forum
6:30 p.m., September 24
Sylvan Middle School – MP room
7137 Auburn Blvd
Citrus Heights, CA 95610

On the Net:

District’s web page with info on Sylvan options: http://www.sanjuan.edu/Page/23600