The Sequoia Union High School District Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution on the need to mitigate the impacts of new developments on its schools at its Nov. 14 meeting.

Trustees approved the resolution 4-0, with trustee Allen Weiner absent. The resolution commits the district to working with cities and developers to lessen the impact of these developments and "ensure the preservation of future high-quality education."

Officials have expressed concern about several pending and proposed large-scale private developments within the district's boundaries, both commercial and residential, that could significantly increase enrollment. One, Facebook's "Willow Village," includes a proposed 1,500 housing units.

The resolution doesn't single out Facebook, and district spokesperson Rolando Bonilla noted that there are a "number of projects currently in the pipeline." This is the district's opportunity to make clear that the needs of students and parents are always at the forefront, he said.

Facebook's planned Willow Village development in Menlo Park is by far the largest proposed project within the district's boundaries. The company plans to build 3.45 million square feet of office, retail and residential space on a 59-acre site bounded roughly by Mid-Peninsula High School to the west, Willow Road to the north, the Dumbarton rail corridor to the east, and the UPS Center and Pacific Biosciences office (on O'Brien Drive and Adams Court) to the south.

Earlier in the meeting, the school board reviewed districtwide enrollment for the school year. Enrique Navas, the district's assistant superintendent of administrative services, said that the district is studying how developments will impact enrollment and that he hopes to provide a report "very soon." New developments are not likely to impact district enrollment for another 10 to 15 years, he said.

The district should try to work with the seven cities within its district boundaries to get accurate enrollment projections, said trustee Alan Sarver. Cities like Belmont now have "very strong" databases of demographic projections based on their general plans, he said.

Cities and others need to plan very judiciously for growth, Superintendent Mary Streshly said. Enrollment is likely to dip for five years, potentially significantly, down to around 8,000 students, she said. It will then start to climb in another five to 10 years, she said. Current district enrollment not including charter schools is 9,279.

"Once it climbs, I think it will hit us all at once," she said.

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