State-of-the-art wireless network and 80” screens
Every public school campus in the Healdsburg Unified School District has been buzzing with activity this summer.
A $35 million bond is paying for everything from new buildings to a state of the art wireless networking infrastructure for students. Funding from Measure E, passed by voters in 2014, is mainly being spent at the high school.
Healdsburg High
Glen Schaezlein, supervisor for HUSD’s maintenance and operations department, said that Healdsburg High is getting a precedent setting makeover. “Nothing this massive has ever been done to this school,” he said.
Healdsburg High School is in phase 2 of what Schaezlein described as “a modernization plan.”
Construction crews and school district employees recently completed “phase 1,” which included replacing the data infrastructure, rebuilding two “very old dilapidated structures” and building a new state-of-the-art Science and Engineering building. The wireless network at HHS allows every student to be operating two internet connected devices at any one time.
“Phase 2” includes a massive facelift for the school, said Schaezlein. “We are removing part of the main building and creating a welcoming courtyard that will drastically change the look and feel of the school.”
“Phase 2” will cost around $4 million and includes some roof and HVAC (heating, ventilation, air-conditioning) replacement.
The project also includes creating a new conference room and staff lounge, and remodeling two classrooms as well as technology upgrades in most of the other classrooms.
“There is a tremendous amount of work that needs to happen in order to complete the modernization at the high school, but we are continuing to make progress as long as funding remains available,” Schaezlein said.
The campus is getting a new library and classrooms on the west side of the school are being completely replaced. Buildings on campus were remodeled last year as well, with some opened to students in the past school year.
The Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) building has been completely remodeled. Like other classrooms, the remodel includes extensive electronics upgrades, such as massive 80-inch monitors that are connected to a network.
Almost gone are the days of students and teachers pushing a TV strapped to a tall cart with a warning label about pushing it from the top and crushing someone.
Schaezlein said that some teachers are still holding on to the old TVs and overhead projectors. “Every now and then I get a hold of them and off they go to be recycled.” The new monitors start at about $1,500 but optional upgrades like external speakers add to the cost.
Healdsburg Junior High
Much of the work is completed at Healdsburg Junior High School and is focused on the replacement of dilapidated portable units on the east side of campus. Schaezlein described them as “really awful, grimy portables.”
“Teachers didn’t want to be teach there and students didn’t want to be there.”
New, permanent buildings with drought friendly landscaping are ready for use. They too, have 80-inch monitors in modern classrooms.
Healdsburg Elementary
$600,000 is being spent at Healdsburg Elementary School this summer to replace the plumbing system in the main building and remodel nine classrooms. The work includes energy efficient window replacements. The classrooms will also get new carpet, paint and whiteboards. “Our plan is to continue the classroom upgrades next summer in order to complete the interior renovations of the main building,” said Schaezlein.
Over the past few years the school district has remodeled the common spaces as well as upgraded the data infrastructure. “Although we have a lot more work that we want to do in order to modernize the campus, we are closing in on our goal of providing exceptional learning spaces while maintaining the character of this iconic building.”
Schaezlein said that although the new windows don’t seem like much, a lot of time was spent picking out the right style. The school was built with New Deal funding in 1935. The school district wanted windows that did not look out of character with the building.
Fitch Mountain
At Fitch Mountain Elementary School, around $200,000 is being spent in order to correct water leaks that were the result of construction defects. The district sued contractor Wright Construction and is using the funds awarded for the repairs. “We tackled some of the water intrusion issues last summer and hopefully this will be the end of it,” said Schaezlein.
On the playground area the school district is in the process of removing around 5,000 square feet of decomposed granite and replacing it with water-permeable pavement. Decomposed granite is gravel-like and is not uncommon in landscaping, however, it is killing the trees according to Schaezlein, and causing a slipping hazard on the playground asphalt.
“With California school construction costing upwards of $800 a square foot, the money does not go nearly as far as we would like it to,” said Schaezlein. Public contract code, Division of State Architect regulations, skilled workforce requirements, and the current climate of the construction industry are all factors making an impact on the process. “It is a challenge to match the funding we have available with the goals that we have set,” said Schaezlein. “However, we have made tremendous progress in a relatively short time and the school district will continue to push for the very best learning spaces that we can provide.
“The city has been phenomenal in helping us,” Schaezlein said. In contrast to the help from the city of Healdsburg, Schaezlein said, “You can quote me on this, AT&T has been a real pain in the ass.” According to the supervisor, the telecom giant has put construction on the school’s west side behind by at least a week. The main telephone lines at the high school needed to be moved by AT&T for construction to stay on schedule.
