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San Benito High School District will again attempt to win support from county planners to build its second campus on agricultural lands on the outskirts of northern Hollister.
Though the district requires planners to report on the proposed use and county zoning, the district receives plan and construction approval from the California Department of Education.
On Aug. 19, the San Benito County Planning Commission is scheduled to consider whether a new 33.58-acre site on Westside Road that the district intends to purchase complies with the county’s General Plan.
Planners will also consider a separate 49.68-acre parcel, known as the Pura Vida property, that it previously rejected because it did not conform with the General Plan for school use.
The district intends to sell its current property off Wright Road, previously proposed for a second high school, and the parcel would remain in agricultural use.
The potential purchase of the Westside Road property is part of the district’s effort to build a second campus as Hollister High School nears its student capacity of 3,437. According to the California Department of Education, last year the school had 3,330 students enrolled.
While the staff report in the agenda concludes that a school use on the Westside Road property does not conform to the county’s agricultural land use and zoning designations, it notes that the San Benito High School District Board of Trustees could “render county zoning inapplicable to proposed school use” with a two-thirds vote.
According to the report, the proposed new site is in an area that contains prime farmland and is adjacent to properties subject to Williamson Act contracts which restrict uses to agriculture and open space and have additional buffer requirements.
The report also raises concerns about the new site because it lacks adequate transportation infrastructure and could potentially impact agricultural lands.
Those concerns are the same as those brought up by planners on Dec. 2, 2024, with regard to the Wright Road property.
As part of the analysis, the commission staff report cites county policies that encourage school districts to build new campuses “near residential areas with safe access for students to walk or bicycle to and from their homes,” at “locations that are consistent with current and future land uses.”
Among the recommendations included in the report is for the district to conduct an environmental review to analyze the loss of agricultural lands, traffic and land use compatibility if it intends to pursue building a new school on the Westside Road site.
The district has said its Facility Needs Committee identified the area in west Hollister for a new school because of expected residential and commercial growth in that area. The committee was made up of more than 60 people including educators, students, community members, county planning staff and business leaders.
The district has been active in securing land for its proposed new school for some time.
The trustees approved purchasing a 13.98-acre property known as Borelli-Felice on Westside Road for $1.54 million in January 2025. The parcel is adjacent to the 49.68-acre Pura Vida property which the district acquired for $2.23 million in 2024.
The district purchased a property on Best Road in 1997 with the intent to build a second school, but now is considering the site a 1,000-unit workforce housing development that includes a commercial use.
To fund a new school, the district unsuccessfully sought voter approval for two $70 million bonds in 2024. Despite the bonds’ failure, the district has previously said it still is planning on securing funds through local contributions such as bonds, state grants and school impact fees collected from new developments.
In addition to buying property, the district has taken other steps toward building its second high school. These include getting input from community members about naming the school and its mascot.
In 2024, the district held town halls where attendees were asked to pick from the following options:
List of potential school names:
- Buena Vista High School
- Valle Vista High School
- Vista Colinas High School
- Orchard Valley
List of potential mascot names:
- Nighthawks
- Golden Eagles
- Hornets
- Hummingbirds
- Harvesters
- Rattlers/Racers
- Earthquakes/ Aftershock/ Shockwave/ Tremors
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