A group of citizens in Redwood Valley have come together to create a community recreation center at the abandoned Redwood Valley School Campus. Marybeth Kelly, a retired Eagle Peak Middle School math and science teacher, has done a remarkable amount of research on campus history and on Ukiah Unified School District policies. Kelly spent the past few years contemplating how to open a community recreation center on the Redwood Valley campus. This year, she seriously ramped up efforts, meeting weekly with a group of like-minded citizens. They started an informal steering committee, meeting every Monday at 10:00 am. Marvin Trotter, M.D., who was instrumental in founding Ukiah’s Alex Rorabaugh Recreation Center, has thrown his weight behind this effort.
Because of declining enrollment, which was projected to continue, the UUSD Board of Trustees voted to close the Redwood Valley School in 2010. California law prohibits the outright sale of public school property. It first must be offered to other government entities. No offers were made by a government entity, and the UUSD tried other legal methods to sell the property.
Dr. Trotter came up with the idea of creating a north campus of the already-existing ARRC. It took 17 years of dedicated hard work to get the ARRC running. Funding came from various grants, tobacco settlement funds, businesses, and private individuals. The ARRC is located on the Grace Hudson Elementary School Campus. The school uses the gym at the ARRC during the school day. After school and on weekends, the ARRC, managed by the City of Ukiah Recreation Department, is used by the Boys and Girls Club, and other organizations for after-school programs, such as sports and art classes. On Friday and Saturday nights, the ARRC is open as a safe place for teens to socialize.
Dr. Trotter is extremely concerned about children’s health. If healthy exercise and study habits are not instilled during childhood, it sets a person up for challenges throughout life. Dr. Trotter served as the Mendocino County Public Health Officer for 12 years. It pains him to see children failing, and he can provide statistics off the top of his head:
- 25% of Ford Street patients began using alcohol prior to age 14. niaaa.nih.gov Early Drinking
- Only 40% of UUSD students are reading at grade level. 4.files.edl.io
- Students who can’t read at grade level by 4th grade are 4 times less likely to graduate on time. ReadingPartners.org
- A teacher at Eagle Peak Middle School told Dr. Trotter that only 10% of students passed the state PE test.
- Only 50% of students with emotional or behavioral issues graduate high school. Acmh-mi.org
- 82% of women CEOs of Fortune 500 companies played sports in middle and high school. Fortune.com Powerful Women
- 70% of children from families that make over $100,000 per year are involved in after-school activities. Children from low-income families are six times less likely to be enrolled in after-school activities. Survey: Low-income kids are 6 times more likely to quit sports due to costs – Project Play
- Mendocino County has the highest per capita number of overdose deaths in the state, with 54.7 per 100,000 in 2021, according to Clover Martin, Treatment Services Director, Ford Street Project.
- Diabetic drug Metformin prescriptions for juveniles in Mendocino County have almost tripled in the past 5 years, Dr. Casey Johnston, Ukiah Pediatrician, told Dr. Trotter.
- There used to be approximately 2,000 kids enrolled in the Ukiah Valley Youth Soccer League, when Dr. Trotter’s kids were playing. This has dropped down to about 600 kids currently.
Dr. Trotter decided to approach the UUSD with an offer to lease the Redwood Valley campus. He knew that the ARRC was leased from the UUSD because the idea to lease the school property was originally suggested by UUSD Superintendent Gary Brawley in 2000. A precedent for leasing a school campus is already set.
Dr. Trotter feels that with volunteers and funds raised to date, it is possible to start renovating the athletic fields any time now. He would like to commence renovating the gym before winter to prevent more vandalism.
The Steering Committee sent the following Statement of Action to the UUSD on July 18:
As an affiliate of the Alex Rorabaugh Recreation Center (ARRC), we, the Redwood Valley Citizens’ Group, request the Ukiah Unified School District (UUSD) Board of Trustees, as soon as the State Board of Education waiver is received, vote to lease the Redwood Valley School to us for use as a Community and Recreation Center in alignment with the lease already in place between the ARRC and UUSD. We ask the board to appoint a subcommittee to negotiate this lease with us and to agree not to sell the property for an agreed upon period of time. We will present a final agreement to the Board before the end of the year. We will be covered under the ARRC insurance policy. Our vision includes a three-phase plan: first the fields and tennis courts which we would like to get started on in the first year. The Gymnasium and Rec Room would be next, followed by the classrooms which could possibly at some point include housing for new teachers. The first year of the lease would be a planning period and we would give the board quarterly updates. We have identified 3 members of a 6-member Advisory Committee that will provide expertise in our endeavor. This group includes an architect, general contractor, and civil engineer. If we get a commitment from the Board, we will move straight to fundraising and grant writing. . . . We believe this is the best possible use of the site for the children and families of our community for generations to come and is in alignment with the District’s Strategic Plan and Mission and Vision Statements.
The UUSD Board of Trustees next meeting is set for August 8, 2024 at 6:30 pm at 511 South Orchard Avenue, Ukiah. Kelly has been told by the UUSD that in order to lease the Redwood Valley Campus, the UUSD needs to obtain a waiver from the California State Board of Education. That waiver will not be granted prior to the August 8 meeting. To demonstrate community desire and commitment to see a rec center in Redwood Valley, the Redwood Valley Citizens’ Group wants to show up in number at the August 8 meeting, and at all subsequent Trustee meetings until the waiver is obtained.
Kelly has set up a Facebook Page for the Redwood Valley Community Recreation Center, where you can find a letter template available for organizations that would like to support this effort.
A majority of four UUSD Trustees need to vote in favor of leasing the Redwood Valley campus to the ARRC.
For those who would like to voice their opinion on this matter, here are names and contact information for the UUSD Board of Trustees:
Megan Van Sant, President meganvansant@gmail.com
Fred Keplinger, Vice President fredkeplinger@uusd.net
Carolyn Johnson, Clerk carolynjohnson@uusd.net.
Beatriz “Bea” Arkin barkin@saber.net
Zoey Fernandez zfernandez@uusd.net
Tyler Nelson tynelson@uusd.net
Rebeca Orozco rebecaorozco@uusd.net.
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This would be amazing for the RV community! I hope common sense will prevail over bureaucracy & give them the campus & resources needed to make this idea come to fruition.
Fantastic idea! This would be a welcome and much needed addition to our Redwood Valley community. Hope this happens and donors and volunteers step up to build something that lasts much longer than the old school it’s replacing!
That is an amazing compiling of information that really lets the Community know what you are doing and how you are doing it!!!!Awesome work and I think that this should run in the newspaper as a Community Awareness piece.
Thank you for all the efforts for this project.. A community center would be a wonderful way for
the community to share with one another., meeting needs… BRILLIANT IDEA ! ! !
Marcela Ries
Ukiah, California