Brainstorming Other Ideas

• Idea 1 - Middle School relocated to Edna Maguire site, with Edna Maguire students dispersed to the District’s other excellent elementary schools.

  • This avoids the excess traffic concerns that will certainly be cited as an impediment to the plan of having Edna Maguire and MVMS colocated.

  • The Edna site is much safer and more sustainable than the current MVMS site - No seismic liquefaction, no toxic landfill waste, and no flood plain.

  • Enrollment is down across the District, so perhaps it is possible for the other sites to welcome these new students. We have been asking the District for enrollment data to explore this option.

• Idea 2 - Middle School relocated to Edna Maguire site, with a smaller Edna Maguire Elementary School at the Terra Marin Lomita campus to serve local residents, with balance of elementary students dispersed to the District’s other excellent elementary schools.

  • Same benefits as above, but with a remaining elementary presence at the Terra Marin site to accommodate the families nearby. Reduces number of students the other schools would need to absorb, while still mitigating traffic overall.

• Idea 3 - If MVMS moves off its current site, transform the current MVMS site into state-of-the-art playing fields, so this land in the heart of Mill Valley remains beautiful and useful to the wider community and our children. This is a more sustainable solution for sea level rise too, as fields would absorb more water and thus protect the surrounding Sycamore neighborhood. Moreover, fields would not require deep pylons or foundations, so the soil cap would remain safely in place, reducing the risk of these improvements.

  • The Mayor and other Mill Valley city officials opposed the Friends Field plan, thus limiting the School Board’s options, which led to the previously-proposed rebuild plan, which is now infeasible. The District is in a difficult position.

  • The City is responsible for ensuring that Mill Valley remains a vibrant community able to offer excellent schools, which our property values depend upon to a significant degree. Moreover, the issues of sea level rise and climate change impact the entire community, and planning to address these things requires a collective and coordinated effort, not just isolated decisions.

  • So, given all of that, would the City consider working creatively with MVSD to buy or lease this property and turn it into something wonderful for our town?