Signage at the corner of North Second Street and East A Street, site of Valley of the Sacred Heart Academy’s proposed school.

DIXON, CA (MPG) – Advocates say they are considering pushing for a vote by Dixon City Council members on a proposal to build a new Catholic school near downtown.

City council tabled a request by Valley of the Sacred Heart Academy to erect a two-story structure at the corner of North Second Street and East A Street, across the street from St. Peter Catholic Church, during its Sept. 1 meeting. 

Council members expressed concerns that the proposed structure did not fit with Dixon’s downtown mixed-use district zoning and asked city officials to work with school proponents on alternative options such as a land-swap.

However, a change in site location would inflate costs for Valley of the Sacred Heart, a nonprofit entity, school Director Chris Simpson said. Being near the parish church is critical to the school’s mission. School objectives include students celebrating Mass each school day at St. Peter’s, she said.

“We might go ahead and see what the city says, to move it to a final vote and see where it goes from there,” Simpson said. “However, this will continue to incur cost for our program.”

The school has already spent more than $200,000 between city fees, a traffic study and other expenses.

“We do not get that money back regardless of the outcome,” Simpson said.

The .517-acre parcel was bought nearly a decade ago, Simpson said. Prior to the purchase, school officials contacted city officials about building an education center at the site.

“We went to the city before we bought the property, to make sure that the property was properly zoned for a school – and it was,” she said.

However, the area where the proposed school would be built was reclassified as downtown mixed-use when city officials adopted the current zoning map in 2024. 

Because any approval the academy received years ago was informal, the project would now require a zoning text amendment for a conditional allowance of a private school within the downtown mixed-use area. 

“What it comes down to for me is there is a long-term view of what we want to see in our downtown, and what we want it to be,” council member Kevin Johnson said at the Sept. 1 council meeting. “Ultimately, we have to decide … where would we like to see our city grow over a period of time.”

Council members approved a motion to talk with staff about options beneficial to both Valley of the Sacred Heart and the city’s vision for the downtown, including considering a land-swap that could enable the school to be built further from downtown. But a swap is not a possibility due to legal questions, according to Simpson. 

“If downtown is not an option, we are open to seeing where we can find land that will serve our Montessori/classical school,” she said. “It is disappointing for sure, but perhaps the Lord has something bigger and better in mind for our children.”

Valley of the Sacred Heart Academy has leased classrooms at St. Peter’s since the school’s inception in 2013. The proposed 11,539-square-foot Spanish colonial revival structure would enable the school to grow its enrollment by as much as 33 percent, to 120 students. 

The lot at the corner of North Second Street and East A Street has been vacant for several decades.

The school’s request was not formally discussed at the Sept. 15 city council meeting. The next city council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 6.