Finding a way to structure the outdoor space at Monta Loma Elementary School that satisfies the school district, city and residents may mean looking at more than just the park next to the school, but rather undertaking a broader reimagining of the entire campus.

Mountain View Whisman owns both the school itself and the adjacent parkland, which is some of the only open space in the nearby community. When the school district proposed fencing off the site in 2020 in an effort to improve security, neighbors came out in strong opposition.

The district ultimately reversed course and hired consultant Carducci Associates last year for $481,000 to conduct public outreach and create a proposal for the redesign.

Carducci asked the school board at a Thursday, Feb. 10, meeting to consider expanding the purview of the project to include the whole school site.

"The site could be much more efficient when looked at in a holistic sense, (rather) than trying to fragment it through open space and school-use space," Karly Behncke of Carducci told the board.

School board members generally signaled a willingness to explore a wider scope, including looking at the potential long-term impact of expected housing growth in Mountain View on the school, though no formal vote was taken.

"I think we need to have open minds on how we can try to creatively accomplish this," board member Ellen Wheeler said.

Carducci has been holding an extensive series of meetings to gather feedback from neighbors, parents, students, school staff and city employees.

At Thursday's board meeting, Behncke and Vince Lattanzio gave the board an update on how those meetings have been going. Carducci has held an initial community meeting in December, six focus groups last month (with city staff, school staff, city recreation leagues, seniors, families and neighbors) and two broader community input meetings at the end of January.

Overall, Lattanzio said that participants have stressed the importance of maintaining open green space that is available for unstructured use. Carducci's staff have also identified four groups that haven't been adequately represented in the process thus far: families with preschoolers; children who live in the neighborhood but don't attend Monta Loma; seniors who aren't technologically adept; and the Latino community.

After Lattanzio's presentation, two members of the public addressed the board. Both were skeptical of the current process and the district's willingness to listen to the community.

"I hope you guys think about this carefully and that you try to earn trust back with the neighborhood and the community, because right now I just really have so little faith," one commenter said.

The board members generally supported the idea of looking at Monta Loma's campus broadly, with an eye toward the long term. Trustee Laura Berman, who lives in the Monta Loma neighborhood, said that the board should take into consideration the expected housing development in Mountain View and the likelihood that school boundaries will ultimately need to be changed.

Berman also said she's heard residents' desire for open space and that she understands Monta Loma is a community space where those living in the neighborhood go to relax.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what the input is in the next series of meetings," Berman said.

Board member Chris Chiang, on the other hand, advocated for the board to stop the redesign process entirely. He said he was taken aback by a comment from Lattanzio, who said leaving the site as-is wouldn't be helpful going into the future.

"I actually think that at this moment, to do nothing is the most helpful solution," Chiang said.

That's in line with Chiang's past statements. He was the sole board member to oppose hiring Carducci last year, arguing that there are better ways to address the district's security concerns. On Thursday, he suggested that buying robots to patrol the site would be better than erecting fencing.

Board President Laura Blakely disagreed with the idea of halting the redesign and said she is open to instead expanding it.

"I definitely don't want to stop this process now," Blakely said. "I feel like we've finally made some strides."

The next pair of community input meetings are scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 16, and 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 19. To register, visit mvw.sd/ML.