VISTA — Magnet middle school Vista Innovation and Design Academy will relocate to the now-closed Rancho Minerva Middle School campus by the start of the next school year, Vista Unified district leaders decided last week despite community concerns.
While the community has known since last summer that VIDA would eventually move to Rancho Minerva, which closed in June along with Beaumont Elementary, the district had not laid out a clear timeline until recently, causing frustration and uncertainty for many families.
On Nov. 8, the Vista Unified School District board agreed in a 3-1-1 vote, with trustee Rena Marrocco dissenting and Rosemary Smithfield absent, to relocate VIDA in time for the 2024-25 school year. With the move, the VIDA community will be in a newer facility but without on-campus amenities including a pool and theater that currently draw many families.
In a letter to families last week, VIDA co-principal Damon Patterson and assistant principal Kurdy Turner reassured families that the spirit of VIDA will continue at the old Rancho Minerva campus, which will “address the basic facility and safety concerns that have been associated with our existing campus.”
“VIDA is a program and not a place, and we will continue to provide the great experiences that our Sharks receive everyday. We will continue to support our kids, families, and staff throughout this process and will work to keep everyone informed as we know next steps and embark on this new journey together. Everything that has been designed can be redesigned and we have the skills to do it,” the letter said.
One of five magnet schools in the district, VIDA opened in 2014 at what was previously the Washington Middle School campus and is at capacity with just over 800 students. The school offers coveted programs, including aquatics and theater, as well as several design labs, with students admitted via lottery.
Despite its amenities, the 60-year-old campus needs around $59 million in renovations, which the district cannot currently afford. Rancho Minerva, built in 2006, is relatively new and has a 1,000-student capacity.
The three board members who voted in favor of the move said while it’s not a perfect solution, Rancho Minerva will create a better environment for VIDA students.
“We know that that campus is viable. It’s healthier in more ways than one, from the sewer system to the actual structures that kids are gonna be learning in … it’s gonna be good in terms of air quality in the newer classrooms,” said Board President Martha Alvarado.
Over the coming months, the district will partner with VIDA staff on a series of community meetings for families regarding the move. Staff will also have a professional development day at the new campus in January.
“The district team has successfully managed school moves and that team will be utilizing a proven process to support our transition,” VIDA leaders said.
Last summer, an asset management committee tasked with making recommendations regarding the future of school sites recommended closing Beaumont and Rancho Minerva and relocating VIDA, which the board agreed with.
However, many community members have said the district rushed into this decision, as committee members were forbidden from discussing any factors related to transportation, school boundaries, or impacts on families when making their recommendations.
Parent Zulema Gomez told the board that this did not allow the board to plan ahead of time and has left VIDA families with no information about how the relocation will work.
“The district told you to close [schools] first, plan later. In what world does that work?” Gomez said to the board.
Several parents have urged the district not to relocate VIDA, noting that the Rancho Minerva site does not have a pool or theater. They have also expressed concerns about there being enough room for students walking and arriving in cars.
Parent Brian Schneider said the community loves the current campus, despite its issues and that the district should focus on renovating it.
“The campus there has a thriving heart right now. Students love the campus there, love the amenities there, love the teachers and faculty as well,” Schneider said.
However, district leaders say there is no money for the needed repairs or other facility improvements over the coming years.
Grim projections
According to the district’s Long Range Facility Master Plan, the district needs approximately $309 million over the next five years to address basic facility needs. The obligation reaches $1.29 billion, not including inflation when considering needs for the next 10 to 15 years.
The district is also facing over 2,000 incomplete work orders to repair things like pipes, bathrooms, decks and other infrastructure at district schools, Loescher said.
The district’s $247 million Measure LL bond from 2018 has all but dried up, along with other one-time funding sources. Leaders were planning to place a new $364 million bond before voters during the Nov. 5 election, but it never appeared on the ballot after failing to receive supermajority approval from the board.
Because the bond did not move forward, Vista Unified is also not eligible for matching state funds under Proposition 2, which California voters passed last week.
Loescher said that for now, the district can use the General Fund for facility improvements or wait for another funding source.
“We have no new sources, not at this time,” Loescher said.
Trustee Julie Kelly said she doesn’t know how the district will meet its facility needs in its current financial position, but consolidating schools is a necessary first step.
“We don’t have the luxury of keeping under-enrolled schools open,” Kelly said.
