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The San Benito High School District Board of Trustees unanimously approved the acquisition of additional property for its proposed new campus on the north side of Hollister. The board approved purchasing 13.98 acres on Westside Road for $1.54 million.
The property, known as Borelli-Felice, is adjacent to the Pura Vida property on Wright Road and is zoned “agricultural productive.” The 49.68-acre Pura Vida property was acquired by the district in 2024 for $2.23 million and is also zoned for agricultural use.
“The future high school campus, proposed to be on the Wright Road parcel plus the impending two additional parcels, are intended to directly connect the second high school with future families in the future Buena Vista Specific Plan and the current communities south of Wright Road and surrounding Buena Vista Road,” the district said via a statement provided by the district’s public information officer.
The district said the location was recommended by its Facility Needs Committee, which is made up of more than 60 people including educators, students, community members, county planning staff and business leaders.
Acquiring agricultural land for a new high school is something Donald Wirz, president of San Benito County Farm Bureau, has previously spoken against. The San Benito High School District’s resolution to approve the purchase of the property notes that the City of Hollister’s 2040 General Plan indicates the area is expected to be developed in a mix of residential and commercial use.
According to the resolution, the district had entered into an agreement to purchase the property in August 2024. That was three months before voters rejected two $70 million companion bonds to fund the first phase of the new campus.
In addition to using the bonds, the school was proposing to use $80 million from a combination of state funding, developer fees and district contribution for the new campus.
“All school districts in the State of California rely upon three funding sources for their school facilities: State funding grants, local contributions (such as bond measures), and school impact fees,” the district said. “The game plan for securing funding sources has not shifted, and the Board of Trustees remains steadfast and unwavering in its commitment to seek and obtain the maximum contributions from each of these three funding streams.”
The district has stated that it envisioned the new campus as walkable and bike-friendly. The Borelli-Felice property connects a recently built neighborhood in Hollister to the Pura Vida property, which means students could get there without having to take Wright Road, a two-lane road with no sidewalks.
“The County of San Benito’s General Plan encourages new communities to be planned with schools within walking distance from residences,” the district said. “The State Department of Education requires a school site to provide opportunities for the residents to walk or bike to school, reduce vehicle miles traveled to and from school and reduce traffic congestion and improve pedestrian, bicycle, and traffic safety.”
There is a current effort to rescind Hollister’s 2040 General Plan, which identifies that area for potential residential, commercial and industrial growth for the city. The district declined to comment on how that effort could impact its plan to construct a new high school.
The district is seeking to construct a new campus to address overcrowding at Hollister High School.
“Student enrollment in this award-winning school district has experienced growth for the past 10 years and operated over-capacity for the past three years,” the district said. “The District identified this need and challenge, and has been steadfast in its objective to find a solution.”
In addition to Hollister High and San Andreas Continuation School, a public charter school was approved in 2024 by the San Benito County Board Board of Education. The school, San Benito Polytechnic Academy is expected to open in the fall 2025 as they work to secure a facility. It was originally planned to open in the fall of 2024.
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