7-11 Advisory Committee

This Advisory Committee provided the  Board of Trustees an advisory report recommending uses of surplus space and real property (Ed. Code, § 17390 (e)) The 7-11 Committee's recommendations and reports are advisory only.

Additionally, this committee reviewed a list of unused properties owned by the district and made a  formal recommendation for their use in the future. The Committee has committed to both inclusion and transparency in this process and to that end, the committee’s proceedings and deliberations were open to the public and all minutes and recordings have been published on our district website.

The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees, district leadership team, and staff have undergone a detailed and holistic review of the district’s budget in order to assess and remedy financial challenges as we face dramatic declining enrollment and subsequent declining revenues. This important work aligns with our district Goal #3: Support Systems for Student Success and Student Achievement, which is done by having stable and predictable funding. Our long-term financial stability is essential so that we are capable of delivering on our educational promise to PRJUSD students.

PRJUSD, similar to all districts in California, one of our major asset categories is real property which includes land and school facilities. It is our fiduciary responsibility to maximize these assets, ensuring they are utilized efficiently and effectively so we can continue to provide exceptional learning opportunities for all students. Given our current budget shortfall, we have reviewed and analyzed our assets to determine if opportunities exist to maximize their usage given our current financial situation. After reviewing financial and enrollment data, it is clear that we need to examine the possibility of closing and/or consolidating an elementary campus, as we aim to reduce annual operational costs. We have facilitated preliminary, open discussions in the community around this topic, and it is time to prioritize this work and form a committee to delve deeper into this issue. This committee collaborated proactively to understand the overall impact of small schools on the district’s budget and examine potential solutions.

Under California law (Education Code sec. 17389), the Committee must have at least seven (7) members and no more than eleven (11) members and contain persons who can be representative of each of the following:
a. The ethnic, age group, and socioeconomic composition of the district;
b. The business community, such as store owners, managers, or supervisors;
c. Landowners or renters, with preference to be given to representatives of neighborhood associations;
d. Teachers;
e. Administrators;
f. Parents of students;
g. Persons with expertise in environmental impact, legal contracts, building codes, and land use planning, including, but not limited to, knowledge of the zoning and other land use restrictions of the cities or cities and counties in which surplus space and real property is located.

California law also designates the specific duties of a 7-11 Committee (Education Code § 17390) as follows:
a. Review the projected school enrollment and other data as provided by the district to determine the amount of surplus space and real property;
b. Establish a priority list of use of surplus space and real property that will be acceptable to the community;
c. Cause to have circulated throughout the attendance area a priority list of surplus space and real 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 surplus real property for child care development purposes pursuant to Education Code § 17458;
d. Make a final determination of limits of tolerance of the use of space and real property;
e. Forward to the Board of Trustees a report recommending the use of surplus space and real property.