Amid declining enrollment, school district loses million-dollar lease Amid declining enrollment, school district loses million-dollar lease (April 19, 2002)

By Candice Shih

Mountain View's public schools have been suffering from declining enrollment for a number of years. But now, the city's private schools are facing the same problem.

The Monarch Christian School cited plummeting enrollment last week as it declined to renew its $1 million-a-year lease of the Whisman School site at 310 Easy Street, said Rebecca Wright, the Mountain View-Whisman School District's chief financial officer.

In seeking a new tenant, the district is looking to sign a twenty-year lease, with a minimum rent of $600,000 per year. Wright said that the current lease was negotiated before the Whisman and Mountain View School Districts merged. Without knowing whether the merger would be approved, there was too much uncertainty about the Whisman School's future to seek a long-term agreement.

But with the merger done, things have changed.

"With nine schools instead of four (as a result of the merger), there's more room to accommodate additional students. That has made it easier to look at a twenty year lease," said Wright.

"Secondly, two years ago, there was still some question as to how the [Moffett Field military housing] would be filling up and whether that would generate more students," she added. "We have not seen significant increases of students from Moffett and do not have any knowledge of long-term influx of families to that area.

"In addition, we have been advised that there are private schools that are very interested particularly in long-term leases."

Wright pointed out that although the final bid two years ago was $1 million per year, the bidding had started at $395,000. Thus, although the bidding will start at $600,000 this year, it is probable that the final bid will be higher.

"Looking at the current market, it was thought to be appropriate to raise it from $395,000 but we have to be reasonable," she said.

The district expects to see another private school move in by this fall. Bidding on the lease takes place May 21.

The school campus, with more than 28,300 square feet of building space and the capacity for about 350 students, is also home to the German School of Silicon Valley and Canyon Heights Academy, sub-tenants to Monarch.

Monarch Principal Jan Pendergast declined to comment, but Canyon Heights and German School officials said they are working on arrangements for next year.

"We would like to stay but we don't know we can do that financially," said Jürgen Wolf, president of the German School. He hopes the school will be able to bid for the site with other private school partners, but added, "If anybody in Mountain View has a place for us, we would be happy to hear from them."

Paul Parker, principal of Canyon Heights, said his school had decided to relocate to Saratoga in January, prior to Monarch's decision not to renew.