Dublin School Superintendent: School Site Land Deal "a Creative, Proactive Solution"

Dear Dublin Community,

The Dublin City Council took unprecedented actions Tuesday night in support of the Dublin Unified School District, setting the stage for the delivery of two school sites to the school district valued at $66 million.

• City Council Authorizes Delivery of 2 School Sites to Dublin Unified School District Valued at $66 Million

The City approved a Memorandum of Understanding for a joint school/park site in Jordan Ranch ((E-5). The first step toward a similar agreement was also approved for a school site in the Dublin Crossings Project (E-6). The MOU effectively provides the land for the building of a school to the district at nominal cost. We look forward to our Board of Trustees considering approval of the Memo of Understanding at Tuesday night’s meeting.

We are thrilled by these developments and are extremely grateful to the City Council members for their unanimous support. These actions represent a remarkable partnership between the city and the school district. Our students, parents, teachers and the entire school community will benefit for years to come because of these historic decisions.

The rapid growth in our City has put pressure on our schools to house an increasing number of students. We have in excess of 9,200 students in our district this year, more than double the number we had when I became Superintendent here nine years ago. We also believe that the excellence of our schools has compelled many families to move to this community. It is a validation of our commitment to student learning and it has also further filled our classroom space. Meanwhile, the State of California has ceased to provide funding support for school construction.

As a result, district and city staffs have been working for several weeks to explore options. Meeting with local developers and city staff, we have negotiated a creative, proactive solution that we believe is unique for the state.

As the E-5 school site is designed, the city will be involved in the process and will enter into joint-use facilities agreements with the District. A facility will be created that maximizes use as a school by the district and a park for our community.

We look forward to the next steps in this important process as we all keep our eye squarely on “the ball”, making our students and their learning environments a top priority in this amazing community.

Sincerely,

Dr. Stephen Hanke
Superintendent