This story was originally published by Fresnoland, a nonprofit news organization.
A Fresno County education committee unanimously rejected a petition to transfer territory from Sierra Unified to Clovis Unified on Thursday, while scolding the petition’s backers for wasting the county’s time and resources.
The Fresno County Committee on School District Organization took its first and final vote on a petition from residents of Granville Homes gated community Ventana Hills, requesting the neighborhood and an additional 400-plus undeveloped acres get moved into Clovis Unified.
The committee was tasked with weighing nine criteria the Education Code requires in order for territory transfers between school districts to get approved.
A staff report, submitted to the committee by Fresno County Superintendent of Schools’ Office employees prior to Thursday’s vote, concluded that the petition failed to meet seven of the nine criteria.
The committee voted to affirm all nine of the staff’s recommendations Thursday before taking a final vote to deny the petition.
“Approval of this petition would not only fail to meet the minimum standards,” said committee chair Lawrence Wilder, “but would also pose significant educational and financial risk to Sierra Unified School District.”
In a news release approved during Thursday’s meeting, the committee also emphasized that “every dollar and every hour spent reviewing a non-meritorious proposal” is another one diverted from students in the classroom.
“Therefore, the Committee encourages the submission of only those proposals that can clearly demonstrate compelling local educational needs,” the statement reads, “and meet the minimum Education Code requirements.
“The law does not permit territory transfers based on convenience, individual preferences, or the benefit of real estate developer interests.”
The petition drew sharp criticism from the Sierra Unified community, who called it a thinly veiled attempt backed by Granville Homes to increase property values – at the expense of the small district’s future enrollment and funding.
Public records demonstrate Granville Homes has been involved in efforts to transfer not just Ventana Hills but other property within Sierra Unified’s bounds to Clovis Unified over at least the past decade.
Marc Thurston, who filed the petition the committee voted down Thursday, alone had filed three previous petitions to transfer Ventana Hills and additional territory out of Sierra Unified starting in February 2023, the county staff report noted.
In a text message to Fresnoland on Thursday, Thurston said he was disappointed in the county’s decision.
“I am not planning on submitting another petition,” he added.
Darius Assemi, CEO of Granville Homes and a vocal proponent of the transfer petition at previous hearings on the petition, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
Sierra Unified Superintendent Lori Grace meanwhile applauded the county’s move in an interview with Fresnoland.
“I think the county report did a really good job of setting the precedent for petitions such as these,” she said, “and so I’m just grateful for this decision.”
The county’s vote is final and cannot be appealed to the State Board of Education, county legal staff confirmed Thursday.
This article first appeared on Fresnoland and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.