LTE | School District Neighbors to City Council: Return the grant funds

Dear City Council Members

The neighborhoods surrounding the Nevada City School District campuses and families across our community have long supported thoughtful partnerships between our schools and the City of Nevada City. It is in that spirit of cooperation that we ask the City Council to return the state grant funds originally awarded through California Proposition 64 to the school district so the project can move forward as intended.

This grant was not created overnight. District staff, led by Superintendent John Baggett, worked collaboratively with the City to prepare the proposal that ultimately secured the award from the state. The goal was simple: create safe, positive recreation opportunities for local youth and families.

However, circumstances have changed. With no land donation available for the skatepark and the grant funds on a tight timeline for expenditure, the community now faces the risk of losing these state resources entirely if the project cannot proceed quickly.

There is a practical solution that honors the original intent of the grant while ensuring the funds benefit our community. The district is prepared to redirect the project toward improvements to the baseball and sports fields and restrooms on district property—facilities that can continue to function as a community park outside of school hours, just as originally envisioned.

As Board President Sandra Barrington stated at the recent council meeting, the district is “shovel ready.”The district has the site, the ability to move forward, and the capacity to ensure the funds are used within the required timeline.

Returning the grant funds to the district would honor the collaborative work that secured the funding in the first place, preserve these valuable state resources for Nevada City, and deliver improvements that benefit students, families, and the broader community.

We respectfully urge the City Council to do the right thing and allow the district to move forward so these funds can serve the youth and residents they were intended to support.

Sincerely,

Jim Sperlazza, 
Concerned Neighbors and Supporters of the
Nevada City School District