San Benito High School District intends to acquire the property across from the Westside Rd and North Miller Rd intersection via eminent domain. Photo by Noe Magaña.
San Benito High School District intends to acquire the property across from the Westside Rd and North Miller Rd intersection via eminent domain. Photo by Noe Magaña.

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In its pursuit to build a second campus, the San Benito High School District board of trustees made two major moves last month.

The trustees approved a property trade and agreed to use eminent domain to purchase a separate property nearby.

At its Sept. 8 board meeting, the district moved forward with exchanging its 49.68-acre Pura Vida property for the 33.58-acre Thomas Orchard property. The deal also has the district paying an additional $1.5 million for smaller property.

The district decided to continue with the deal even though county planners found that using the Thomas Orchard property for a school would not conform to the San Benito County General Plan’s land use designation. The General Plan serves as the blueprint for growth in unincorporated areas. 

School districts, however, aren’t required to get local approvals or follow local land use designations. Instead, they require school location approval from the California Department of Education and building approval from the state architect.

In its subsequent meeting, on Sept. 22, the trustees unanimously approved two resolutions signaling its intent to use eminent domain to purchase a third property, noting that it has made multiple attempts to negotiate a deal. The acreage is located adjacent to land it already owns, known as the Borelli-Felice property.

San Benito High School District approved the sale of the property outlined in red, acquired the property outlined in green and intends to pursue an eminent domain to acquire the property in blue. The district also owns the property outlined in orange. Image from Google Maps.
San Benito High School District approved the sale of the property outlined in red, acquired the property outlined in green and intends to pursue an eminent domain to acquire the property in blue. The district also owns the property outlined in orange. Image from Google Maps.

“The district established an amount it believes to be just compensation based on the appraisal valuation, and made an offer to the owner of record to acquire a “fee simple” interest in the property for the full amount so established,” according to the report in the agenda.

In a letter dated Aug. 31 addressed to the property owners named in the agenda, the district offered the Dotta Revocable Living Trust $1.4 million for the property based on a 2023 appraisal. The letter, however, notes the offer may be adjusted based on an updated appraisal. 

The district must file an eminent domain lawsuit with the San Benito Superior Court within six months after adopting its resolution, according to a document titled “Eminent Domain Pamphlet” included in the agenda. 

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.

In addition to the properties in west Hollister, the district has owned a property on Best Road since 1997. The district  purchased that site with the intent to build a second high school, but now is considering the site for a 1,000-unit workforce housing development that would also include a commercial element.

To fund the new school, the district unsuccessfully sought voter approval of two $70 million bonds in 2024. Despite the bonds’ failure, the district has said it still is planning on securing funds through local contributions such as 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:

Potential school names

  • Buena Vista High School
  • Valle Vista High School 
  • Vista Colinas High School
  • Orchard Valley

Potential mascot names

  • Nighthawks
  • Golden Eagles
  • Hornets
  • Hummingbirds
  • Harvesters
  • Rattlers/Racers
  • Earthquakes/ Aftershock/ Shockwave/ Tremors

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Noe Magaña is a BenitoLink reporter. He began with BenitoLink as an intern and later served as a freelance reporter. He has also served as content manager and co-editor. He experiments with videography...