Elite Marin County School Seeks Expansion, Neighbors Resist

MARIN COUNTY (CBS SF) – The Branson School in Ross has been educating the elite of the elite in Marin County for almost a century. Currently, tuition is $41,000 a year.

For the next 100 years, the school is considering an expansion to the Strawberry section of Mill Valley. The site, currently a Baptist seminary, would be turned into a high school.

But what a high school. The school would have 1,000 students, three times the current number. There would also be 300 homes, 100 brand new and 200 others rebuilt from rundown dorms.

That's a lot of change to the area. And change doesn't come all that easy to some of these neighbors in Marin.

"It's just too many houses, and the school is just way too big," said Riley Hurd, who grew up in Strawberry. His mom still lives here, and he grew up to be an attorney, who is representing the neighbors against the plan.

"There are a lot of very respectful, profitable things that could be done with that property that wouldn't have the type of impact that this proposal has," Hurd said.

"People say Marin is slow growth. I say it's no growth," said Doug Brown, who supports the project. "And it's just putting our head in the sand."

Construction may not begin for another three to six years.