If public testimony before the Planning Commission is any indication, San Diego Unified is already off to a particularly poor start in applying any creative approaches here. You have healthier school environments that cost less to sustain and saves taxpayer dollars by reducing the need for other more expensive practices for things like drainage control, water and energy usage. When you see the new design plans vs. the old sites, it's remarkable. Even though EIRs are supposed to look at alternatives and support better decision-making, this EIR does nothing to help the community or the district pursue healthier and more sustainable schools via better design principles. It should come as a surprise to no one if lawsuits are filed over this.
Intervention is needed now.
The EIR should be redone after working with the community and the city to satisfactorily deal with design, siting and housing supply and displacement issues. The community understands the need for new schools, but you need to work with people fairly from the outset to soften the blows of evicting someone from their home. But right now, school planning efforts are flunking the smart growth test.