At the January 16, 2025 Ukiah Unified School District Board of Trustees meeting, members approved moving forward with the sale or lease of the long-abandoned Redwood Valley School campus. This decision opens the door for proposals, including one from the Redwood Valley Recreation Center (RVRC) group, to transform the site into a community hub similar to Ukiah’s Alex Rorabaugh Center. The district, having secured a waiver from the State Board of Education, is now set to issue a Request for Qualifications/Proposals (RFQ/P) for the property, with a community-centered future at stake.
The RVRC group asked the UUSD to allow them to submit a proposal to lease the abandoned Redwood Valley School campus. The school was closed in 2010 and is badly in need of renovation and upkeep.
The UUSD Trustees needed to obtain a waiver from the State Board of Education in order to sell or lease the campus without going through a public bidding process. There have been previous unsuccessful attempts to trade the property to another state government entity, or to sell the property through public bidding. On November 13, 2024, the State Board of Education approved the UUSD’s waiver request allowing the District to sell or lease the property. The UUSD now has permission to issue a Request for Qualifications/Proposals (RFQ/P) for the property.
The requirements are that the District select a proposal that is in the best interest of the District’s students. Steve Barekman, Chief Business Official for the District, spoke at the meeting. His presentation is linked here. Barekman said, “The District’s desire is to sell the property, but the waiver allows the District to sell or lease the property through a . . . RFQ/P process.”
During the RFQ/P process there will be “a mandatory quiet period both during its development and after issuance to ensure that no one entity is gaining an advantage by obtaining information that other potential proposers are not privy to, which means persons or entities interested in submitting an RFQ/P will not be allowed to contact District Staff or Board members regarding the property to ensure a fair process.”
Supporters of the RVRC group spoke at the meeting, urging the Trustees to consider leasing the property to their group to create a community recreation center, similar to the Alex Rorabaugh Center in Ukiah, located on property leased from the School District. The group is encouraged by the fact that the heavily used, very popular Alex Rorabaugh Center sets a precedent for the District lease of school property.
Debra Phenicie, UUSD teacher with 25 years of experience, said Barekman’s presentation missed the fact that the land for the Redwood Valley School was “donated by the Wooley family with the intention of keeping it in the community,” and that the property “is a place that should be repurposed to serve the community.”
Cherilynn Evans, said she has “been with the UUSD since 1982. The history goes back so much further than the school. This land was donated for the purpose of serving our community. It’s on us to do the right thing and to honor the intention.”
Sonya Pio, a former school bus driver for 25 years said, “The kids I used to drive on the bus now have kids of their own, who have no place to go.” The school is close to the MTA bus route, making it a perfect location for a community center. “The community needs a hub . . . we need the lease. We need to get kids off their phones and active.”
Owner of the Redwood Valley Market Alex Chehada (who has performed many acts of community service in Redwood Valley) said he would like to see a 4H Club in Redwood Valley, and told the Board, “Give us a chance to do something.”
After the public comments, Barekman said, “We are starting to dance into a dangerous area already. The Board is already aware of these community members. We shouldn’t talk about it. I don’t want to see it disqualified.”
Board Trustee Zoey Fernandes said, “I have already stated that I support the community. We have to go through all these steps. We have to play by the rules.” The Board cannot be seen as giving preferential treatment to the RVRC group.
The Board was asked to vote on whether 1) to engage a real estate professional, or 2) prepare the RFP/Q and shepherd the process using District staff and District attorneys. After discussion, the Trustees voted to use a real estate professional.
Barekman said the RFP/Q will probably be ready in March or April.
Trustee Bea Arkin said, “I would like to be able to get a realtor from our community.”
In previous attempts to dispose of the property, the District used the Orbach Huff & Henderson law firm, headquartered in Los Angeles, and Terra Realty Advisors, in Fairfield. Both firms specialize in representing school districts.
Barekman told the Board that the local realtors have never sold or leased a school. He omitted the fact that the two previous attempts using out-of-town realtors and attorneys were not successful.Here is a link to a presentation from April 2024 from the District’s lawyers, Orbach Huff & Henderson recapping the history of the school closure and previous attempts to dispose of the property.
