Santa Rosa Schools Turn Empty Buildings into Future Homes

Four empty school campuses in Santa Rosa have been marked as surplus and are now set for a new life. The sites are Brook Hill Elementary, Lewis Early Learning Academy, Steele Lane Elementary and the former Sonoma Avenue location of the French‑American charter school. All four have been vacant for up to two years as part of a budget‑driven reshuffle.

The board gave the green light on September 9. Once a property is surplus, the district must first offer it to other public agencies for things like parks or affordable housing before it can be sold to private buyers. The timeline can stretch, with an estimated six to twelve months for each step. A special advisory group suggested the properties be sold at market value for housing after the surplus process finishes.

Brook Hill shut its doors in June 2025, and the charter school moved out of its Doyle Park location this past June. Both sit near the Rodgers Creek fault area. Steele Lane closed this summer. The other two middle schools, Herbert Slater and Hilliard Comstock, are not yet surplus; the panel wants them declared soon but wants to delay housing plans for three to five years. They also propose long‑term leases that keep the district owning the land while sending most of the rent to the general fund.

The district is dealing with a huge money shortfall, so it has cut about 270 staff members and dropped several programs. Merging schools helps save money and avoids running many under‑used campuses. Now only eighteen school sites remain open, and the district is looking for ways to keep finances steady.