Dr. Deneen Guss, County Superintendent of Schools
County Committee
County Committee Responsibilites
The Monterey County Committee on School District Organization (County Committee) is responsible for overseeing the reorganization of school districts in the county through territory transfer, district consolidation, and unification. It is empowered to:
- Create, abolish, or rearrange trustee areas
- Increase or decrease the number of governing board members
- Determine alternative methods of electing governing board members
- Establish or abolish common governing boards
- Rearrange trustee areas based on the federal decennial census
The County Committee may initiate, coordinate, facilitate, or arbitrate these operations. It may also formulate plans, respond to petitions, conduct public hearings, develop and release information, and analyze proposals related to the organization of Monterey County school districts
The County Committee is subject to the legal requirements of the California Education Code and State Board of Education policies and regulations, but has latitude to address each local situation in its own context. The California Department of Education (CDE) provides a Handbook for School District Organization, which details the duties, responsibilities, and processes that must be followed.
Annette Yee Steck is currently the chairperson of the County Committee. The Monterey County Superintendent of Schools, who is the Secretary to the Committee, and the Monterey County Office of Education staff are available to render professional assistance to the Committee.
NOTICES
Notice of CEQA Determination: On February 11, 2026, the Monterey County Committee on School District Organization received the Report on Environmental Study pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) regarding the proposed unifications. The study determined that the proposed actions will not result in any physical changes to the environment and are therefore exempt from CEQA under the “Common Sense” exemption (CEQA Guidelines, Section 15061(b)(3)).
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS:
The public hearings before the Monterey County Committee On School District Organization have been scheduled as follows:
Monday, March 23, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.
Vista Verde Middle School
1199 Elm Avenue, Greenfield, CA 93927
March 23, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.
Chalone Peaks Middle School
667 Meyer Street, King City, CA 93930
Information on Reorganization of South Monterey County Joint Union High School District into Two Unified School Districts
On November 6, 2025, the State Board of Education directed the Monterey County Committee on School District Organization (County Committee) to work with all parties and develop formal plans and recommendations for the potential reorganization of the entire South Monterey County Joint Union High School District into two unified school districts.
Plans must be submitted to the State Board by approximately May 1, 2026, in order to meet the July 2026 State Board agenda deadline, at which time the State Board may approve, deny, or continue the matter.
The below Consolidated Newsletters and Reorganization Documents are intended to provide timely and transparent updates.