Golf center’s future being investigated

The discussion arrived while officials are reconsidering uses of properties across the district and recently approved selling campuses to raise money for a transition away from a neighborhood school system.

Board President Kevin Martinez characterized the most recent discussion as an initial public examination of the property positioned at the gateway to Crestmoor Canyon, following a series of private conversations with the driving range.

The property is currently leased by the golf facility, but district officials hold the power to terminate the lease early should the desire exist to find another tenant or potentially sell the site.

Martinez said any discussions around putting the property on the market will need to consider future school facility needs for the community which is experiencing an uptick in residential development.

“It’s a matter of weighing and being very sensitive to the fact that once something is sold, it’s gone,” he said. “But still understanding that San Bruno can and should have modern schools.”

Also, when considering the potential to sell the site, Martinez said it is imperative officials weigh the benefit of the current lease revenue provided by the tenant which can pay toward district operational costs.

Officials agreed late last year to sell the recently-shuttered El Crystal Elementary School for $13.5 million to the Stratford School, which also leases the former Crestmoor Elementary School campus.

El Crystal Elementary School was closed after the last school year, as part of a pivot by officials away from a system built around neighborhood schools to a regional one with larger campuses. Officials are hopeful the transformation will free the district from the budget constraints which have hamstrung operations for years.

The revenue generated by the sale will help pay toward the rebuild of existing facilities which need to be revamped and improved to accommodate more students, as it can only pay toward facility needs and not operations. Officials will use the sales money in tandem with the $79 million raised by a recently-approved bond measure.

The El Crystal Elementary School site is not the only property on the sales block, as officials agreed earlier this year Rollingwood Elementary School would also be shuttered and sold. The timeline for the campus is yet to be determined though.

For her part, Superintendent Stella Kemp in a prepared statement said the discussion regarding the former Engvall campus is a continuation of the larger look at all district properties.

“Committed to prudent fiscal management, the district continues to explore options related to future use and disposition of its properties, among which is the Engvall site,” she said.

From the discussion, officials agreed to take a tour of the site to further understand its geographical limitations, as a portion of the property is likely undevelopable, said Martinez.

School officials will also host a series of community discussions as well as meetings with their colleagues from San Bruno City Hall to better understand the wide varieties of opinions regarding suitable uses for the site, said Martinez.

In all, Martinez said the discussion about district property needs to be considered in the context of trying to strike the appropriate balance of available land against future needs.

“We used to have seven neighborhood schools. We don’t need to have that. But we do need the capacity for what the community can bear, and we are trying to address that,” he said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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