UKIAH, CA., 9/15/26 — The Ukiah Unified School District board approved the sale of the former Redwood Valley Elementary School property to the Ukiah Valley Cultural and Recreational Center during its Sept. 10 meeting.
The property, located at 700 E. School Way in Redwood Valley, will be sold for $250,000 under the purchase agreement approved by the board.
The buyer, Alex Rorabaugh Recreation Center, was required to deposit $25,000 in earnest money into escrow within five business days. Closing is anticipated within 90 days, although the transaction will not become final until escrow and closing are successfully completed.
During the escrow period, the center will conduct due diligence and pursue any approvals necessary for its intended use of the property. The district will cooperate with that process as required under the purchase agreement, Dan Dougherty, the district’s communications officer and a cabinet member, said.
The agreement allows the buyer to terminate the transaction during this period and receive a refund of its escrow deposit. If the buyer completes its due diligence and elects to proceed, the sale can move toward closing.
Sale follows years of exploring options
Redwood Valley Elementary School closed at the end of the 2009-10 school year following extensive study and community engagement. In 2017, a second committee, after several public meetings and a hearing, declared the property surplus.
The district had sought a buyer for years, at one point listing the property for $900,000 in 2024, The Mendocino Voice previously reported. Earlier this year, a Redwood Valley community group proposed leasing the site with an eventual purchase, funded in part through state park and recreation grants, to create youth programming in the area.
According to Dougherty, disposing of surplus school property is a complex process governed by state requirements. The property also presents development challenges.
Over the years, the district explored several options and completed multiple required processes but did not receive a viable offer that resulted in a sale.
“This opportunity gave the board a legitimate offer to consider against the ongoing costs of owning, insuring and maintaining a property the district no longer needs for educational purposes,” Dougherty said.
The buyer also emerged from a community-based effort focused on returning the property to active use as a recreational center serving the Redwood Valley community.
“We are pleased to reach this point and to see an opportunity for this property to once again serve the Redwood Valley community,” Superintendent Deb Kubin said Tuesday in a district release. “The district has worked for many years to find a responsible path forward for the site. We wish the Alex Rorabaugh Center success as it considers the property’s future and the possibilities it may offer the community.”
No other surplus properties currently available
Dougherty said the district does not currently have other surplus properties available for disposition.
Once the sale closes, the district will no longer be responsible for the ongoing insurance and maintenance costs associated with the Redwood Valley site. Those resources can instead support other district needs, he said.