EGUSD Board of Trustees to consider first formal step toward acquiring land for long-planned SunCreek Middle/High School during Aug. 4 public meeting
RANCHO CORDOVA – A long-planned middle and high school campus intended to serve the rapidly growing neighborhoods of south Rancho Cordova has may be reaching a pivotal stage, as the Elk Grove Unified School District prepares to consider the first formal step in acquiring land through the eminent domain process.
The district announced this week that its Board of Trustees will consider adopting a Resolution of Necessity during its Aug. 4 meeting, a legal action that would authorize the district to move forward with eminent domain proceedings after months of unsuccessful negotiations to purchase the property needed for the future SunCreek Middle/High School campus.
The site is located in the Suncreek Plan Area where work is already underway south of Douglass Road, west of Grantline Road and east of Sunrise Boulevard. The site is located off Rancho Cordova Parkway, near the intersection of Kiefer Boulevard.
The announcement was made in a letter distributed this week to the Elk Grove Unified School District community, updating residents on the status of the project and explaining why district officials believe the next step has become necessary.
“We want to keep you informed as we continue working toward opening SunCreek Middle/High School for our students,” the district wrote.
According to the district, officials have spent the past several months negotiating with property owners in an effort to acquire the land needed for the campus.
“While there is still no agreement, the District has approached every step of this process in good faith and with the best interests of our students and community in mind,” the letter states.
District officials said that while pursuing eminent domain is not their preferred course of action, they believe negotiations have reached the point where other options have been exhausted.
“At this stage, the District is now considering acquiring the property needed through a process called eminent domain,” the district stated. “This is not the District’s preferred approach, and it is one that is being brought forward only after careful consideration and exhaustion of these negotiation efforts.”
If approved, the Resolution of Necessity would represent the first formal legal step required under California law before a public agency may initiate eminent domain proceedings to acquire private property for a public purpose. The Aug. 4 vote would not immediately transfer ownership of the property but would allow the district to begin the legal process if negotiations remain unsuccessful.
The Board of Trustees will consider the resolution during its regular meeting Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 6 p.m. in the Board Room at the Robert L. Trigg Education Center, 9510 Elk Grove-Florin Road in Elk Grove. A closed session is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. before the public meeting.
District leaders described the upcoming vote as a significant milestone for a project that has been years in the making.
“This is a pivotal moment for the future of SunCreek, and for the students and families who have been waiting for this school to become a reality,” the district wrote.
The district also reaffirmed its commitment to the proposed location.
“We remain fully committed to this site. We know it is the right one for our students and our community, and we do not want to see continued delays.”
The future SunCreek Middle/High School campus is one of the most important education projects planned for south Rancho Cordova, where thousands of new homes are being built as part of the area’s continued expansion. The school is planned within the SunCreek Specific Plan area, located south of Douglas Road, north of Jaeger Road and east of Sunrise Boulevard.
Rather than constructing separate campuses, Elk Grove Unified has planned the project as a combined middle school and high school site. The shared-campus approach allows both schools to utilize common infrastructure, athletic facilities and administrative resources while reducing construction and long-term operational costs.
Once completed, the campus is expected to serve students from the rapidly developing communities in southern Rancho Cordova, including neighborhoods surrounding Anatolia, Sunridge Park and the expanding residential developments within the SunCreek Specific Plan area.
The need for additional secondary school capacity has grown alongside residential development in the area. South Rancho Cordova has experienced substantial population growth over the past decade, with thousands of additional homes planned or currently under construction, increasing demand for new educational facilities.
Rancho Cordova also presents a unique educational landscape because portions of the city are served by three different public school districts. Depending on where they live, students attend schools within the Elk Grove Unified School District, Folsom Cordova Unified School District or Sacramento City Unified School District. New neighborhoods within the SunCreek development area fall within Elk Grove Unified’s attendance boundaries, making the proposed campus a key component of the district’s long-range facilities plan.
Construction of the future campus is expected to be funded through a combination of regional developer impact fees and voter-approved school construction financing. A significant portion of the funding comes from Measure N, the $542 million school facilities bond approved by Elk Grove Unified voters to expand and modernize schools while accommodating enrollment growth over the coming decade.
The district also announced that another community meeting has been scheduled for Sept. 30 to provide residents with additional information regarding site acquisition and the next phases of the project. Meeting details, including the time and location, will be announced at a later date.
Residents wishing to attend the Aug. 4 Board of Trustees meeting or follow the project’s progress can view meeting agendas approximately 72 hours before the meeting through the Elk Grove Unified School District’s Board of Education website.
If completed as planned, the SunCreek Middle/High School campus will become one of the region’s newest secondary education facilities, helping meet the educational needs created by the continued growth of south Rancho Cordova while providing local families with expanded access to middle and high school education closer to home.
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