Dear Community Member:

The 7-11 Committee was formed to advise the Mendocino Unified School District Board of Trustees on the best possible use of the Old Historic Grammar School property based on community input. The property is presently the Mendocino Recreation and Community Center, playground, ballpark, community garden, and open space.

We ask you, as a member of our community, to help determine the possible uses of this property by reading the following background information and completing the on-line questionnaire.

The first action of the 7-11 Committee was to recommend the Mendocino School Board declare the 4½ acres and the buildings on the site as surplus* school district property.  We studied enrollment and staffing reports, the building needs for the district now and in the future, and reports on the present and past use of the Old Historic Grammar School site.  As a result of our studies we learned:

• The District will have no need for any additional classrooms once the new K-8 campus is complete. 
• The District needs space for the District Office and MCN.  The District is looking at options among its current school sites and at this time is not considering the Old Historic Grammar School site for either MCN or a District Office.  
• The High School has significant maintenance and repair needs (est. at $10 million).
• The Old Historic Grammar School building cannot be used for classrooms by the District since the building does not meet earthquake standards for public school district classrooms.
• The School District has rented the Old Historic Grammar School to the Mendocino Parks and Recreation District who have run the Mendocino Recreation and Community Center for at least 23 years.

Additional information, committee agendas, and minutes can be viewed at the website:  http://7-11.mcn.org

Following are some things to consider when determining the best use of the Old Historic Grammar School site:

• The Board has a fiduciary responsibility to make decisions based on what is best for the fiscal solvency of the district. 
• The Board is not obligated to sell surplus property but if they choose to do so, will first offer the sale of any surplus property to public agencies. 
• Funds from the sale of surplus property can only be used for capital outlay or costs of maintenance.  The funds cannot be used for salaries or general operating expenses.
• The site is part of the “registered historic district” and is zoned “Mendocino Public Facility” which requires that the site be used for public purposes.        
• Recommendations may be made about the property in question as a whole or to subdivide the parcel into two or more separate portions, including the baseball field, playground, the Old Historic Grammar School building, and the remaining undeveloped portion of the property (see map on the reverse side).

*Surplus - property that is not or will not be needed by the district for school classroom buildings.  (Education Code 17455)

 Click Here to Complete the Questionnaire On-Line

There will be a community meeting/public hearing about this property on Sunday September 13^th, 2009 at the Community Center. Tour the property at 1:30, the meeting will begin at 2:00 pm.