Not all plans are erasable.
The San Benito High School District found that out when
administrators and the Board of Trustees decided go from building a
freshman campus to focusing on just expanding the campus.
Not all plans are erasable.
The San Benito High School District found that out when administrators and the Board of Trustees decided go from building a freshman campus to focusing on just expanding the campus.
Because the district received matching funds from the state to build a freshman campus, with an administration building, it could not change the plans and still keep the state money.
In April, the Board directed administration to scrap plans for a freshman campus and switch to an expansion. In August, it was brought to the Board’s attention the district could not alter plans after the state approved funding for those specific plans.
At Wednesday night’s Board meeting, Trustees decided to construct the administration building.
“If we want the money from the state, it doesn’t seem like we have a choice in the situation,” said Trustee Bill Tiffany.
The expansion, located west of SBHS on Nash Road, is in Phase I. The first phase includes the construction of 28 classrooms. The administration building is part of Phase II. The cost for Phase I was estimated at $7.9 million, but may come in closer to $7.2 million, according to estimates prepared by Steve DeLay, director of finance and operations. The cost for the administration building construction is estimated at $2 million.
The district could have kept the state’s $7.9 million in matching fund and not build the administration building, if construction costs reached 60 percent of the estimated construction cost – about $8 million. Without the administration building, the district would be short $658,000 of the 60 percent bench mark.
“It looks like we may have to build as is,” DeLay said.
Recent estimates prepared by DeLay suggest the district will come under cost on construction for Phases I and II. Combined state and district funding comes to $15.9 million and costs are estimated to be almost $11 million. The extra money can be kept as long as it is spent on new campus construction projects, DeLay said. The money must also be spent within four years.
“You would have to look at projects of critical need,” DeLay said. “It has to be new construction. You can’t use it on remodels or upgrades.”
During the meeting, Tiffany asked why the original plans called for an administration building. Since the site was meant to be a self-contained freshman campus, administrators should be on site instead of running back and forth, said Michael Robustelli, assistant superintendent and head of curriculum.
Even though the district will build the administration building, it doesn’t have to be strictly for administration.
“There are ways that you can do things and make (it) useful,” said Superintendent Jean Burns Slater.
For example, the school could decide to use all or part of the 28 classrooms for small learning academies.
Because there is potential for 800 students to be on the expansion site, there needs to be some administrators in the area, Slater said.
Other issues in the future to consider include the fact that the district has been notified by the state that 14 portable classrooms on the west side of campus will be outdated by 2007. Also, the approval of the county growth control initiative also has the possibility to stymie growth.
The SBHS campus is situated on 42.5 acres with 121 rooms for student use and carries an insured value of $31 million, according to the district. The expansion site is 75 acres with 44 useable acres. A total of 32,700 square feet are under construction for 24 classrooms and four science laboratories.
