hed: Catholic high school will serve South County for generations
Dear Editor,
On March 11, the Santa Clara Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) will review the boundary adjustment application submitted by the City of Morgan Hill in regard to the area commonly known as the Southeast Quadrant.
As the head of the high school committee for the Diocese of San Jose, I have been working diligently to help build the first new Catholic college preparatory high school in the Diocese of San Jose in more than 50 years.
The Diocese of San Jose is part of the SEQ application. It owns 38 acres at the corner of Tennant and Murphy avenues in Morgan Hill. This site was specifically purchased by the Diocese of San Jose after it was identified and studied by the Morgan Hill Unified School District as a potential site for the second public high school in Morgan Hill. The community’s second public high school, Ann Sobrato High School, was eventually built on an alternative site.
The city has worked to develop a plan for the SEQ that is cited and explained in documents on the city website. As stated, their purpose is to: preserve viable agricultural lands; allow private uses that provide transition between freeway oriented and agricultural land uses; preserve open space and rural character; strengthen the city’s identity as an active, healthy, family friendly place; guide future development through establishment of an urban limit line, urban growth boundary, and urban services area; and create land use designations for sports, recreation, leisure and agricultural preservation.
The application submitted to LAFCO is asking for boundary adjustments that will encompass 21 parcels totaling about 215 acres or 17 percent of the 1,290 acres within the SEQ. The zoning will include public uses and sports/recreation uses. It is important for the community to understand that there is no plan for adding any additional housing than is already allowed in the SEQ.
A key goal of the project is to encourage the preservation and enhancement of open space and agriculture while identifying certain properties for compatible development with sports, recreation and leisure uses. The project is anticipated to result in the development of a portion of the SEQ area, while ensuring that agricultural activity and open space is maintained and permanently preserved in the SEQ area and citywide.
The benefits of a new Catholic high school in Morgan Hill are numerous. Currently, 450 to 500 students leave South County every day to attend existing non-public schools outside the region. The school will positively impact businesses, home values and the community and will help to create another educational choice. Taking 500 students off of our freeways will also provide a benefit to our environment. This new school, recently named “St. John XXIII College Prep,” will serve our students, families and community for generations to come.
LAFCO’s positive decision is critical to move the school project forward.
For more information about the proposed St. John XXIII College Prep high school, visit stjohn23cp.com/.
