Construction could begin next year on various area schools
SMMUSD HDQTRS Schools in Santa Monica could receive an extreme makeover in the next year.
More than eight months after the passage of a $268-million bond measure known as Measure BB, approved by residents to spruce up school facilities and infrastructure, school officials have identified an initial list of approximately $190 million worth of pending projects.
Board of Education President Kathy Wisnicki predicts that school facilities will begin seeing construction projects in about a year, after going through architectural processes and the required state procedures.
Because of the rapidly rising cost of construction, school officials, which includes the newly appointed Measure BB Advisory Committee, are looking to prioritize the list of proposed construction projects within each school, balancing the needs of secondary schools — which doubles as community centers — and the many elementary schools in the district.
“Secondary schools need to be brought up to 21st century standards,” Wisnicki said. “The elementary schools could use modernization and improvements, but the high schools really need overhaul in certain areas.”
Under the list, every single school in the district would receive a piece of the Measure BB pie.
“Right now we’re in the phase of determining how we ensure all of our schools are equal in terms of what they offer,” said school board Vice President Oscar de la Torre. “We want people in the south side to go to schools very similar to the schools on the north side.”
Unlike the secondary schools, the primary schools would receive allocations in the seven-figure range, with the exception of Edison Language Academy. Many of these projects in the elementary schools involve moving portable buildings and constructing new classrooms.
Leading the list is Santa Monica High School at $44.4 million, with projects including demolishing the business building and erecting an Applied Instruction Building in its place. The high school would also see a new subterranean parking garage with tennis courts above, a new synthetic turf athletic field and a new outdoor plaza.
Malibu High School will see similar large scale renovations, such as the reconstruction of the library, construction of new tennis courts and athletic fields.
As of now, the secondary schools would receive about $110.9 million in renovations, while $79.8 million would go to the elementary schools, with Edison Language Academy receiving the bulk with $23 million and a completely new campus.
The language academy, which is currently comprised of a cluster of portable classrooms, would receive a new 650 student K-8 school, with a new playing field and playground.
Several parents have spoken out against the high allocation of Measure BB funds going to Edison, where approximately 50 percent of the students are reportedly Los Angeles residents.
Also receiving some financial support is the child development center at Washington West, where a project is proposed to construct underground parking and new preschool and child care classrooms.
The Measure BB Advisory Committee is set to meet next month to discuss the priorities recommended by district staff, fine tuning the list where needed. The committee is then set to meet with the school board with its list of alternatives.
“We do want to start doing the projects as quickly as possible,” said committee co-chair Gleam Davis.
In the meantime, several small scale projects are already underway on campuses district-wide, including the asphalt and flooring work at several of the elementary and middle schools, installation of HVAC units at Santa Monica High School’s music building and painting at the district headquarters. This fall, the Malibu High School pool will be resurfaced.
All the improvements will be funded under Measure BB, said Wally Berriman, the director of facilities planning and development.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 17, 2007. Read the original PDF.