Middle school renovation begins as Measure G enters its largest phase

Site preparation work is underway at Mill Valley Middle School following a June 19 groundbreaking ceremony, marking the start of the largest project funded by the $194 million Measure G bond voters approved in 2022. Of that bond, 84 cents of every dollar is directed to the middle school, according to the district's facilities modernization dashboard.

With construction now underway and voters having just passed a second school funding measure, here is a status report on what four years of Measure G has delivered.

What's happening: Contractors with Flint Builders of Roseville began site work June 19, with board president Natalie Katz, Mayor Max Perrey and Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters at the groundbreaking ceremony. Crews will spend eight weeks on excavation and foundation work before 29 portable buildings arrive in late September to form an interim campus for students starting in late January, according to the Marin Independent Journal.

The main renovation begins in late March or early April, Flint site supervisor Justin Graham told the IJ. Completion is scheduled for the end of January 2029, according to the Measure G Citizens' Bond Oversight Committee's 2025 annual report.

The district scrapped an early option to build on Friends Field, then abandoned a full-rebuild plan after costs rose from $130 million to $156 million, according to board meeting records. The board voted unanimously, 5-0, on December 15, 2025 to renovate the existing campus in place, according to board meeting records.

What it cost to get here: The district has borrowed $97.5 million of the $194 million authorization so far, according to the CBOC's fiscal year 2025 annual report. Through June 2025, total Measure G expenditures were $13.4 million - well below the $32 million budgeted for that period. The CBOC attributed the slower pace directly to the years-long site selection process, which required environmental impact analysis for multiple site options.

That has now changed. A June 8, 2026 financial report shows $44.3 million in committed contracts actively in progress, including a $20 million construction contract with Flint Builders and a $3.3 million interim housing agreement with Mobile Modular, according to district financial records.

The district's independent bond oversight committee said in its January 2025 annual report that cost escalation and project delays may force "difficult decisions on the scope of improvements" to district facilities. In its most recent report, covering fiscal year 2025, the committee said its efforts to maximize bond proceeds through cost savings measures will continue throughout the construction process.

What your elementary school got: The bond measure promised upgrades at all six district schools, and four are now done or nearly done.

"Measure G bond funds have already been put to work over these last few years across our elementary schools," board president Natalie Katz said, "with work completed last year at Tam Valley and Strawberry and work currently underway this summer at Old Mill and Park."

At a January 2026 board meeting, during a scheduled facilities update, Julio Arroyo, the district's director of maintenance, operations and safety, framed the elementary work plainly: "Hopefully this is a really nice reminder to the community of our Measure G fund and dollars being put to work. It's not just about the middle school."

Why it matters: Property owners in the district pay roughly $26 per $100,000 of assessed value annually for Measure G, according to the district's official tax rate statement, with bonds maturing through 2057. Measure G needed 55% voter approval as a school facilities bond under state law and passed with 68% support, according to Marin County election results.

On June 2, voters renewed and expanded the district's parcel tax as Measure E, raising the rate to $1,754 per parcel with 5% annual increases over eight years, an estimated $14.9 million a year for teacher retention and academic programs, according to the official ballot measure text. As a special tax, Measure E required two-thirds voter approval under state law and passed with 75% support, according to county election results.

Two different measures, two different thresholds, both cleared comfortably. "Reaching this milestone fulfills a promise to the voters and community who support public education," Katz said.

What's next: The interim campus opens in late January 2027, according to the district's modernization page. The board has scheduled a special meeting for July 16 to finalize design development and cost estimates for the renovation's second phase, according to June 18 board meeting records - the next major milestone in determining what the project will ultimately cost and deliver.

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This photograph, taken in November 1963, shows Mill Valley's first community center on its way to its new home. The building, a restaurant called The Colonel's Ranch Wagon, was purchased by the city for $1 and hauled by truck from Redwood Highway to 180 Camino Alto, where it was repurposed as a community gathering space. Locals eventually called it the Rec Center. It was replaced in April 2001 by the current building, which cost $12.8 million to build. We covered that building's 25th anniversary ahead of Memorial Day.

Mill Valley's 10U All-Stars open District 3 tournament play today at 5:30pm against San Francisco A at TI-Tepper Field in San Francisco, entering as the #6 seed after a 4-2 pool play finish.

The 11U team, the Good Vibe Tribe, enters as the #2 seed after a 14-1 win over Tiburon and opens Friday at 5:30pm, also at Boyle Park, against the winner of today's San Rafael and San Francisco North matchup.