Media Release
For Immediate Release
AMERICAN CANYON, Calif., May 24, 2022 – The City of American Canyon and the Napa Valley Unified School District (NVUSD) today announced their collaboration on the future of school and civic sites within American Canyon. The discussions pertain to various properties, including the site of the former Napa Junction Elementary School (located on Napa Junction Road), the community center/gymnasium at American Canyon Middle School, and vacant lands on Eucalyptus Drive and American Canyon Road.
Key components of the new partnership would include the City relinquishing its role as the co-owner of the community center/gymnasium and NVUSD transitioning its ownership of the former Napa Junction Elementary school site to the City. As background, Napa Junction Elementary was moved from its former location due to the damage from the 2014 earthquake and recently opened a brand-new campus on Eucalyptus Drive.
Importantly, the City and NVUSD are committed to ensuring existing civic facilities will remain available for use by the community through the City’s and NVUSD’s respective facility rental programs.
City Manager Jason Holley said, "The City and NVUSD are the two largest landowners in American Canyon. As the City’s population grew from 6,200 people to nearly 22,000 people today, the City worked with the District to expand educational opportunities here. Two decades ago, this unique partnership manifested itself in the creation of a joint civic complex that includes the American Canyon Middle School, community center/gymnasium and Philip West Aquatics Center. Prospectively, NVUSD will begin to shape the future of the gymnasium site as the City re-imagines the former school site on Napa Junction Road."
According to NVUSD Superintendent Dr. Rosanna Mucetti, “It is our duty and responsibility to provide the best educational programs for students across the district, and this exchange will allow us flexibility for enhanced programs for American Canyon students. At the same time, our collective hope with the City is to maximize the space for the broader community – so we believe this exchange will represent a ‘win-win’ for everyone.”
Holley added, “The future of the former school site is a ‘blank slate’ and after an agreement is finalized, the City Council will begin its process for listening to the community’s ideas and interests before ultimately deciding its new future. The continued sharing of our respective civic facilities and maximizing their use remains essential for the community's benefit. The City appreciates our collaborative relationship with NVUSD and values our partnership”.
While the City Council and school district have not finalized the exchange agreement, each entity is committed to moving forward with their own legal process once the terms of an agreement are set. Details will be shared in the coming months, including updates on discussions, timeline and proposed land maps.
CITY OF AMERICAN CANYON MEDIA CONTACT
Jason B. Holley, City Manager
jholley@cityofamericancanyon.org
(707) 647-4351
NVUSD MEDIA CONTACT
Cass Caulfield
ccaulfield@nvusd.org
(415) 867-8327
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