New fields, pools and recreational complexes
By Daily Press staff
DISTRICT HDQTRS. — While it struggles to pay for adequate staff and programs, the local school district has recently renovated nearly $100 million in new facilities.
Whether or not district officials will be able to properly fill those buildings with staff and students remains to be seen. Because of major budget shortfalls — largely due to state cutbacks — programs and staff have been eliminated.
About $94 million has been spent in the past six years on 19 projects — everything from a performing arts theater at Santa Monica High School to a new pool at Lincoln Middle School.
The money was generated by Proposition X — a school bond passed by voters in 1998. About $45 million of the construction costs were funded by Prop. X and the rest came from state funding dedicated for school facility projects. The bond is expected to expire within 20 years.
By 2000, the entire program was headed for serious difficulties because the general contractor in charge of the projects, Jacobs International, was costing the district millions of dollars in cost overruns and delays.
“There was a lot of controversy over quality of service, cost overruns, and things were significantly behind schedule,” said Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy, adding the problem had grown to severe levels by the time he took the job in 2001. “It was the single biggest problem that stood in front of me.”
A team of school officials and the CEO of Jacobs International worked together to overcome the issues, which largely were because of how the subcontractors had been scheduled, managed and paid.
“We met with the CEO and he and I worked out how we could quadruple the amount of people on each project,” Deasy said. “It’s remarkable how much time he gave to this. He responded very well to the problems and as a result, every project came in under budget.”
Barnum Hall, Samohi’s new performing arts theater, was the last project to be completed. It opened last October.
The completion of the facilities were celebrated by the school board earlier this month. The following projects have been completed: 160 new classrooms A new competition gymnasium A new “cafetorium” Two new softball fields A new baseball field A new competition pool A new track and field complex A new Greek Theater Highlights of the program include: Santa Monica High School: Barnum Hall Restoration Addition of eight classrooms to the language building New music building Malibu High School: New classroom building New gymnasium Conversion of cafetorium into an auditorium with orchestra pit New track and field complex John Adams Middle School: Cafeteria renovation Auditorium renovation Lincoln Middle School: Pool renovation New classrooms, play fields, walking paths, recreation support buildings Elementary schools: Playground equipment at various sites
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 18, 2004. Read the original PDF.