Historic El Dorado School has achieved city landmark status and successfully completed the state-level review required for federal historic recognition.
The Sacramento City Council voted to designate Historic El Dorado School as a City of Sacramento landmark and add it to the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources.
At the state level, the California State Historical Resources Commission approved the school’s nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. The State Historic Preservation Officer will now forward the nomination to the National Park Service’s Keeper of the National Register for final federal review. No separate federal application is required. If approved, Historic El Dorado School will be listed in the National Register and included in the California Register of Historical Resources.
ESP board members guided these efforts through the state and city processes, with strong support from neighborhood activists. Thank you to everyone who worked on the nominations, submitted comments, attended meetings and spoke in support of preserving this important neighborhood landmark.
Historic recognition is an important achievement, but it does not determine the school’s future use. That work comes next.
According to the Sacramento City Unified School District, the property is currently in a required 60-day period during which public entities—such as the city, county, state agencies or other public bodies interested in using the property for parks, recreation, education, public services or other public purposes—may submit offers. That period will end after the first week of October.
If the district does not receive a suitable offer, it can seek a waiver from the State Board of Education. The waiver would relieve the district of certain Education Code requirements that could otherwise require the property to be sold to the highest bidder at an open board meeting, without giving the district control over the buyer or future use.
Ideally, the district would then work with a consultant to develop a Request for Proposals, or RFP, seeking a proposal that best supports the district’s goals for the property. District representatives estimate that the complete process could take approximately two years if everything proceeds smoothly.
We have secured local recognition of Historic El Dorado School’s importance and moved it closer to national recognition. Now the community must remain involved as its next chapter takes shape. Stay tuned.
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