Suncrest residents decry lack of board communication as school property condemnation proceeds

Several Suncrest neighborhood residents criticized the district for pursuing condemnation of the former Suncrest Primary School property and for not communicating plans to neighbors.

Matthew (Matt) Cross, president of the Stonecrest Neighborhood Association, told the board that the neighborhood approached the district in 2024 about converting the empty lot into a community garden but were not told about the district’s condemnation efforts. “At the beginning of this year, I was made aware of the BOE's attempt to acquire by condemnation the property, as contested. And so SNA, at that point, filed suit,” Cross said, describing a first hearing in March 2025. He said the association had not been offered a conversation about the property’s future and asked the board to “honor the spirit and intention of the original deed.”

Another speaker, Beth Bosio, said she has repeatedly emailed the board seeking clarity on future plans and asked how much the district has spent on attorney fees related to the acquisition. She said the only way she was told to obtain that information was through a FOIA request and expressed concern that legal costs could “be money taken away from classrooms, from teachers, and from students who need those funds the most.”

Why it matters: Speakers emphasized community trust and transparency. Cross said the empty lot serves as a neighborhood bus stop and that residents wanted temporary uses such as a park while the site settled after demolition. Bosio said court filings included proposed plans and designs even though, in her contacts with board members before the March hearing, she was told there were “no concrete plans.”

What the board did: The item was raised during public comments; the board did not announce a new action or reversal of legal steps during the meeting. Board members were urged to review the court filings and the history of the case.

Ending: Residents asked the board to engage directly with the neighborhood and to provide clearer, proactive communication about plans and legal spending related to the property.