Moving too quickly threatens fiscal stability. 

While there is strong community interest, financial responsibility remains one of the top concerns raised by staff, administration, and families.

Even before construction or hiring, early planning steps (such as feasibility studies, program design, facilities assessments, curriculum purchases, and added administrative capacity) would require several hundred thousand dollars.

Although long-term funding may improve with the charter conversion, our “transition year” budget (2025-26) presents new financial challenges, with reserves forecasted at historic lows.

At this time, even early-stage planning is not financially feasible.

Moving too quickly risks overextending our staff and compromising service to all students.

Building a middle school is not simply adding two grades; it means developing an entirely new program that impacts every area of district operations (e.g., facilities, staffing, curriculum, finances, and governance).

This kind of large-scale work requires project management capacity our current team cannot absorb next year, as we simultaneously manage the charter conversion (which will significantly increase administrative responsibilities) while also adjusting to administrative staffing reductions planned for 2025-26.

Attempting to proceed now would stretch resources beyond what is sustainable.

​​​​​​​

Small-scale programs are especially vulnerable to shifts in enrollment.

Strong early interest has fueled this exploration, but demand may decline as families adjust to new middle school models being implemented in surrounding districts.

For any program to succeed long-term, we would need firm enrollment commitments a full year in advance. However, it’s difficult to ask families to commit to a program that has not yet been fully designed or funded.

Our current limited resources would prevent us from building the kind of high-quality middle school that would make families confident in that decision.

Done well, a BVUSD middle school could reflect the very best of our district’s values and culture. But rushing the process could compromise both quality and long-term sustainability. ​​​​​​​

Our top priority is protecting the strength of our current K-6 programs, staff, and students.

Prematurely redirecting resources toward expansion would divert funds and attention from critical curriculum adoptions, student services, and improvements already planned for the next two years.

Our students and staff deserve fully supported classrooms and high-quality programs, and we remain committed to safeguarding what we have already built.

​​​​​​​