Saugus Union School District is postponing its scheduled Asset Management Committee Meeting (7/11 Committee) in an effort to reformat the structure of the next meeting to allow for community comment and participation so that each committee member has an opportunity to actively engage with the community.

SUSD wanted to ensure that they have structured activities for this process so all individuals who desire to participate can do so in an appropriate and effective manner. The school board anticipates holding the meeting at one of their local school sites where they will have tables, chairs, post its, chart paper etc. to allow members of the community to make comments and share their concerns with the Asset Management committee as well as with the District leadership. 

The meeting held on Sept. 18 at Santa Clarita Elementary School became a center of misinformation from social media, according to the district. The agenda for this meeting included continued learning for the members of the committee about the various alternatives available to school districts with surplus property.

Specifically, the agenda indicated looking at District Employee Housing options. The social media posts portrayed this information as the District examining “low-income housing”. Also on the agenda was a DRAFT Recommendation Report. The DRAFT Recommendation Report item was on the agenda in response to members of the committee wanting to see a sample of the report required of them at the end of the process. This report will be developed during the course of the upcoming Asset Management Committee meetings over the next several months. 

As a reminder, this process dictates that the committee receive information about ALL potential options for the property authorized by statute/law. After the committee members are fully informed about their roles and required tasks, the committee will develop a draft recommendation report. While the Asset Management Committee holds its meetings in public, they are not intended to be public meetings. It is clear, however, that the community, the committee, and the district need to provide more voice by the community during the entire process.

Typically, committees meet, learn the roles and responsibilities, develop a draft report and then allow for community in-put through a public hearing.

SUSD is going to alter that typical process to allow for additional community in-put sessions in addition to the standard committee work session. Upon completion of the committee’s report and after receiving public input, the committee may update the draft report before it is presented as a recommendation to the Governing Board. Most importantly, the work of the Asset Management Committee is not connected to any other facilities work being done in the district nor any measures being considered by the community. The work of the committee is directly linked to the recommendations for the property of Santa Clarita Elementary School. 

The next meeting of the SUSD Asset Management Committee meeting will be held from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Bridgeport Elementary School. The date is to be determined, but will occur no later than early November. Information will be posted on the district website and provided to local media outlets to ensure that interested members of the community can participate. We look forward to the community participation in the process. The purpose of the Asset Management Committee is to make a recommendation to the Governing Board. The Governing Board and the District leadership eagerly await those recommendations as there is no predetermined plan for the property other than for all of us to ensure it remains an important piece of Santa Clarita. 

More information about the Committee and frequently asked questions can be found here: https://www.saugususd.org/asset-management-advisory-committee 

Timeline of Asset Management Committee Events To Date 

The Saugus Union School District Governing Board (“Board”) established an Asset Management Advisory Committee (“committee”) on March 26, 2024. The purpose of the committee is to provide recommendations to the Governing Board regarding potential use options for the former Santa Clarita Elementary School property. 

Pursuant to California Education Code section 17389, the committee must consist of at least seven but no more than eleven members from a list of candidates that submit written applications representing each of the following: 

-The ethnic, age group, and socioeconomic composition of the District; 

-The business community, such as store owners, managers, or supervisors; 

-Landowners or renters, with preference to be given to representatives of neighborhood associations; ● Teachers; 

-Administrators; 

-Parents/guardians of students; and 

-Persons with expertise of environmental, legal construction, and/or land use planning, including, but not limited to, knowledge of the zoning and other land use restrictions of the City and County of Los Angeles in which surplus space and real property is located. 

The application form was posted on the District’s website and advertised in local newspapers to encourage individuals to apply. 

At the June 25, 2024 Governing Board meeting, nine individuals from the Saugus Union community were appointed to the Asset Management Advisory Committee representing the required Education Code categories above. This committee is an unpaid, volunteer position. 

The California Education Code also outlines the role of the committee in section 17390. The committee is responsible for the following: 

-Review the projected school enrollment and other data as provided by the District to determine the amount of surplus space and real property;

-Establish a priority list of use of the surplus property that will be acceptable to the community;

– Cause to have circulated throughout the attendance area a priority list of the surplus property and provide for hearings of community input to the committee on acceptable uses of space and real property, including the sale or lease of the surplus property for childcare development purposes pursuant to Education Code section 17458; 

-Make a final determination regarding the limits of tolerance of the surplus property; and

– Forward to the District’s Governing Board a report recommending uses of the surplus property. 

The first meeting of the committee was held on July 22, 2024. During this meeting, the committee was presented with information regarding the roles and responsibilities of the committee, provided with information about the property and the attendance area student projections, as well as a review of the committee Bylaws. Committee members were encouraged to ask questions so that they could be answered at the next meeting. 

The second meeting of the committee was held on Aug. 7, 2024. The committee elected their Chairperson and Vice Chairperson, received answers to their questions asked in the prior meeting, learned about the Brown Act, and began learning about some of the potential surplus property alternatives available to school districts.