The best way to spend Measure I money was the topic of
discussion and the reason for a recent West Sonoma County Union
High School District public meeting.
About 80 people were in attendance at the meeting held earlier
this month, where around 30 people spoke on behalf of specific
projects on the district’s Facilities Master Plan.
The Facilities Master Plan identifies a wide variety of
improvements in buildings, fields and other facilities to
accomplish in the next 20 years. The school board is working to
identify projects to tackle in the near future using Measure I bond
funds approved by West County voters last November.
The need for new and improved bleachers, tracks and fields at
Analy and El Molino high schools and a desire to see remodeling
done in some of the classrooms and restrooms, among other issues,
were addressed by students, teachers, school volunteers, community
members, representatives of community groups, etc.
“The Analy Field Improvement project, which includes a turf
field, a resurfaced track and improved bleachers; that had lots of
support,” West Sonoma County Union High School District
Superintendent Keller McDonald said.
A new band and chorus room for Analy High, improved heating and
cooling and ventilation in the main Analy building, and repairs to
unsightly water damage across the district, were also mentioned, he
said.
“The Analy High school leadership class asked for improved
restroom facilities as their top priority,” McDonald said.
A turf field and new permanent bleachers, as well as a
performing arts facility, were a few of the requests for El Molino
High School. Improved science labs and some remodeling, which would
include replacing carpets and ceilings and wall coverings in the
classrooms, were also spoken of as needs for El Molino. (There was
no specific public comment about Laguna High School projects,
however.)
The costs of all these projects will probably exceed the total
amount of money available through Measure I bonds, McDonald said.
Hence, the district board will hold another special meeting to
address this and other issues related to the public’s project wish
list.
The total bond amount is $23.8 million. So far around $4.8
million has been spent on the planning and constructing of the
district-wide solar project; demolishing three unusable portable
classrooms; and replacing computer servers. An additional $900,000
is reserved for those projects, because there is a difference
between paid to date, and the bills that have not come in yet.
That leaves the district just over $2 million for projects right
now. In the current economic status the district can’t generate all
of that money at one time.
“It depends on the local, state and federal economic picture,
but we believe we will be able to generate another $6 million to $8
million in the next four years,” Keller McDonald said.
“It became obvious that some of the projects that were mentioned
raised safety concerns. So the board will identify those projects
that are critical for student and public safety and further discuss
those projects and then how to fund as many of the projects as
possible,” McDonald said.
For example, the bleachers at Analy High School raise safety
concerns, because the wood on the bleachers is in poor shape.
Accessibility to the bleachers for disabled students and some
community members is also very difficult, the superintendent said,
noting they were built in the ’50s.
“We want to address both of those issues at the same time. We
need to assess whether to repair them or replace them,” he
said.
And, where the money will come from after Measure I is tapped
out.
“In the current economic climate the district can’t sell bonds
to raise the entire $23.8 million immediately, which is what the
public authorized the district to do when Measure I passed. So one
of the options the board will discuss is doing a short-term loan
between now and when the next bonds are sold in three-to-five
years. This would enable us to start the projects even faster,”
McDonald said.
The next special board meeting to discuss priority projects will
be held from 6 to 8 p.m., Dec. 12, at the El Molino High School
library. The public is encouraged to attend.
