San Juan Unified School District (District) intends to construct a high-intensity sports and event stadium at Rio Americano High School, which sits directly adjacent to the American River Parkway. The District’s project would fundamentally change the historic use of the site—replacing a low-impact athletic field with a multi-use high intensity sports and event stadium featuring permanent lighting, amplified sound, an elevated press box with HAVC, and seating for 2,500 people (up from 288), resulting in substantially increased intensity, capacity, hours, and year-round use that does not exist today.

The question is not whether schools should have athletic facilities. They should. The question is whether this particular project is compatible with one of California’s most protected and beloved river corridors.

Once the natural character of the Parkway is compromised, it cannot easily be restored. The Lower American River is a public trust resource, and future generations deserve the same opportunity to experience a dark, quiet, natural river corridor that exists today.

The community and advocates are deeply concerned that the stadium’s location, scale, features, operations, and excessive hours are incompatible with the Wild & Scenic Lower American River and Parkway, communities, wildlife, habitat, the environment, and the public.

Installing permanent stadium lighting (80–100 feet tall), amplified sound, expanded seating, elevated press box, and related infrastructure—combined with significantly increased capacity and extended, year-round operations—represents a fundamental shift that will dramatically alter and diminish the environment and communities FOREVER.

The District has characterized the stadium project as a minor upgrade with little to no impacts which does not accurately reflect the true scale and consequences of the intended project.

Additionally, the District intends to install a 90’ cell tower, remove existing tennis courts and construct new tennis courts immediately adjacent to the Parkway, refurbish the existing swimming pool and construct a new science building at the location of the existing tennis courts.

We are working to raise public awareness about the District’s intended projects at Rio Americano, participate in the environmental review process, and encourage others to do the same, while urging the District to recognize and uphold its obligations to protect the Wild & Scenic Lower American River and Parkway and the public before irreversible harm occurs. Many stakeholders remain unaware of the true scope of the project and lack the information needed to understand its impacts.

We are calling for greater transparency from the District regarding the project’s actual intensity, impacts, and long-term consequences. Our goal is to ensure the Parkway’s protections are preserved and that the public, wildlife, habitat, and the environment are safeguarded.