HSD moving quickly on education facility improvements

The Hollister School District has been busy making improvements to various sites’ facilities and grounds. 

HSD Director of Facilities Aaron Buzzetta updated trustees about the wide range of facilities projects at the board meeting Oct. 22. 

Three of the more noticeable projects are the new permanent modular buildings under construction at Sunnyslope Elementary School, Ladd Lane Elementary School and Calaveras Elementary School. 

The HSD Board of Trustees allocated $5.17 million in Extended Learning Opportunity Program (ELOP) funding for the new buildings that will accommodate afterschool programs. They each have expected lifespans of 100 years with more than  900 square feet of classroom space along with restrooms, storage and a data/electrical room. 

Buzzetta said contractors are working hard to stay on schedule—they broke ground at the start of this past summer break—with an expectation to complete construction by the end of the calendar year. 

“They’re going to remain through the test of time and elements and everything else,” Buzzetta said of the three structures. “It’s like building a home. It’s going to be a home for our students. It’s an amazing opportunity for our student population and our educational partners. They’re going to enjoy something that’s brand new.” 

Buzzetta said the expectation is to have the CUUBE buildings turned over to the sites’ afterschool programs in January. 

“These things are moving along at lightning speed,” he told trustees. 

There is room to eventually add more buildings at the sites when funding becomes available as well. He said the district has space to accommodate two more of the structures at Sunnyslope and Ladd Lane, respectively, and three more at Calaveras. 

With regard to other site improvements: At R.O. Hardin Elementary School, the district over the summer completed a range of beautification efforts. The school now has new asphalt in the play and lunch areas on the campus’ backside. Buzzetta mentioned the district painted some three-point lines on the basketball courts in the school’s back play area. 

The district also resurfaced the parking lot, along with restriping. Buzzetta said those surfaces had deteriorated after years of impacts from weather and other wear and tear. He noted the total project for the school included about 81,000 square feet of new asphalt. 

“It was a pretty massive project,” Buzzetta highlighted. “Everybody loves it out there. It was a huge improvement to that school site.” 

Over at Rancho San Justo Middle School, the district replaced weathered shade structures in the site’s lunch area and repainted the gymnasium, along with addressing some other damages in the gym area. 

Additionally at Rancho in the courtyard eating area, the district removed pavers that caused access challenges for students with disabilities, took out unused planters and repainted that area as well. The project included adding almost 7,500 square feet of asphalt, Buzzetta said. 

At Rancho Santana School, the district installed 14 high tables in the lunch area.

“They’re really happy over there about those,” Buzzetta said. 

At Sunnyslope, the district renovated play structures—going from seven to 12 components—and replaced two areas of rubber granules with pour-in-place materials.

As for multiple-site projects, the district completed phase two of its roof coating efforts during the summer. Those sites included Cerra Vista, the Early Childhood Education Center, HDLA, Hollister Prep School, Ladd Lane, Maze and Rancho San Justo. 

Buzzetta at the Oct. 22 meeting shared heat signature images displaying how the roofs reflect heat when being pelted by the sun. 

“It’s showing these roofs are going to last,” he said. 

Coming up, the district will undergo hardscape improvements at Cerra Vista Elementary School, most likely during the winter break. 

“We’re going to tear out some of the concrete and we’re going to basically recoat the entire pour-in-place playground area, and add some equipment to that area,” he said. 

Buzzetta also noted plans to add trees and fix lunch tables there. 

The district also has plans to improve bathrooms, starting with Calaveras in the summer of 2025. 

“Our goal is to have a district standard moving forward for all district bathrooms,” he said during the Oct. 22 meeting. 

Other upcoming projects include installing a push-lever gate at Sunnyslope and replacing decorative beams at Maze Middle School at the office entrance. 

Buzzetta emphasized how the past and ongoing work has been a team effort that involved walk-throughs with staff members at every site. He credited the board of trustees for supporting the efforts. 

“It was a collective, collaborative effort,” he said.

Trustees at the Oct. 22 meeting asked questions about the projects and praised him for the thorough presentation. 

PHOTO (crop out border and text)

NEW MODULARS Pictured is one of the new permanent modular buildings, for afterschool programs, at Calaveras Elementary.

Credit: Courtesy of the Hollister School District

PULLQUOTE 

It’s an amazing opportunity for our student population and our educational partners. They’re going to enjoy something that’s brand new. – Aaron Buzzetta