Superintendent's Weekly Message

Jan. 24, 2024

Dear Hollister High School parents, students, staff and community:

San Benito High School District was proud to welcome more than 80 community members, families, and district faculty, staff and administrators to the January 18 town hall in which HMC Architects led an engaging building activity designed to spur discussions and gather feedback about a second high school.

The event in the Hollister High School Davis Library was the latest step in our ongoing outreach and engagement efforts with the community. These included English- and Spanish-language town halls on campus in August 2023, followed by 10 K-8 Listening and Awareness sessions at local elementary schools throughout the Fall. We have also done targeted outreach to staff, students and community members at a total of 12 events, where more than 300 attendees offered more than 1,300 comments about the second high school.

Shaping a Vision

Sherry Sajadpour, the PreK-12 principal in charge at HMC Architects, which is working with the district to formulate a design for the new campus, said she was “thrilled by the positive response to the town hall event.” Ms. Sajadpour and her team led a hands-on activity in which participants used 3-D printed buildings to lay out where they’d like to see buildings and other facilities on a new school campus.

“I’d say that such an impressive turnout is reflective of the community's vested interest in this new high school, and the level of engagement and enthusiasm during the activity was truly remarkable!” she added.

The 3-D building block activity was valuable in illustrating campus components' relative proportions and relationships,” Ms. Sajadpour noted, adding that starting with a blank slate “empowered everyone to think creatively, and generate their own ideas, rather than react to preconceived designs.”

The activity began with each individual sharing “a day in a life,” providing diverse perspectives from students, parents, and staff. They arranged the puzzle pieces on the campus outline laid out at each table. Ms. Sajadpour said, “This approach allowed for a meaningful discussion amongst the group and further adjustment of the pieces to fit everyone's needs. Community preferences such as distributed parking, compact site layouts, and desire for a centralized hub were some of the takeaways.”

She said that these, along with other key insights, “will guide our team as we begin exploring various scenarios for the new high school. Huge kudos to SBHSD and the passionate community that came together to shape their own future.”

Listening and Learning

Brian Meyers, HMC’s PreK-12 practice leader, said after last week’s event that when developing a new high school within a community, “it is so important to listen and learn, which we have done for the first six months of our partnership.” He pointed out that the district and the community we serve “are the authors of this next chapter in the rich history of San Benito County. The community meeting, and the one scheduled for next week, gives us great ideas and inspiration to propel us in our design work. The ideas generated by the workshop groups were inspiring, capturing the voice of students, parents, alumni, and other interested stakeholders. I cannot wait to capture the voice next week as we begin this important part of the journey together!”

Next Steps

Our Spanish-speaking community is invited to the next opportunity to provide design input on a second high school in the San Benito High School District during a town hall session on Wednesday, January 31 in the school library. HMC Architects will be on hand again to guide the hands-on discussion, following up on the English-language town hall on campus on January 18. Food and childcare will be provided. Attendees are asked to RSVP to my assistant, Carol Heiderich, by phone at 831-637-5831, ext. 1132 or by email at cheiderich@sbhsd.k12.ca.us.

As we look ahead, the district will continue to share information about plans for a new high school and opportunities for our community to engage in discussions about the campus, made necessary by Hollister High School’s growth to the 10th largest high school in the state of California. The overcrowding at HHS threatens student and teacher safety in emergency situations and makes effective student supervision difficult.

A second high school would provide all local high school students access to high-quality education on a campus that includes facilities for developing college and career readiness. SBHSD is pursuing all available, cost-effective and locally-controlled funding opportunities for a second high school. We appreciate our community’s ongoing interest and involvement with the deliberative process in which we’ve engaged.

Together we can, together we will, build a brighter future for our students!

Sincerely,

San Benito High School District Superintendent Dr. Shawn Tennenbaum