In February, the Manteca Unified Board of Trustees gave Superintendent Jason Messer the OK to ink a lease-leaseback contract with Vanden Bos Electric, Inc for the scope of work in the Going Digital project at three schools – Lathrop Elementary, Great Valley Elementary in Weston Ranch, and Manteca Day School. The total cost for these three sites was $177,232.

Since February, similar work was completed at eight more campus sites – French Camp Elementary, George Komure Elementary in Weston Ranch, George McParland Annex, Golden West, Mossdale Elementary in Lathrop, Sequoia, Shasta, and Veritas Elementary schools.

The board is being asked to approve the cost for these sites to be included in the lease-leaseback contract with Vanden Bos Electric, for an all-sites total of $2,252,288. Those figures represent the Guaranteed Maximum Prize, or GMP. The rest of the remaining school’s GMPs that will be provided by Vanden Bos Electric, with the cumulative GMP cost totaling approximately $7.5 million.

The board is being asked tonight to consider the additional GMPs for the eight schools whose Going Digital work was completed since February and approve their inclusion into the lease-leaseback contract with Vanden Bos Electric.

The lease-leaseback project delivery method is a popular “alternative option to deliver successful educational construction projects in California.” Authorized by the state legislature, it purpose is to “deliver school facilities on time, on budget and with a reduced level of public risk.”

The Going Digital project of Manteca Unified was approved by the board in December 13 to the tune of $30 million. Its purpose is to upgrade the district’s digital network infrastructure so that it meets current industry standards and provide the district with a digital foundation to meet the needs of future technology. These digital improvements will provide both students and teachers “robust wired and wireless devices” that will help support future technology in the classrooms throughout the district.

In other agenda items this evening, the board will:

• recognize the be.tech Culinary Arts students who participated in the annual Santa Cruz clam chowder cook-off competition last month; the students were entered in the professional division;

• consider the appointment of Tammy Johnson and Sharon Amick to the committee to name the Sierra High School Administration Office;

• adopting proposed agreements between the Manteca Unified School District and various union group chapters as well as the superintendent’s and deputy superintendent’s 2013-2014 contracts.

Prior to the board meeting, there will be a special presentation of 30 Healthier U.S. School Challenge awards to parents, teachers, school food service professionals and administrators for their efforts in improving child nutrition in Manteca Unified. The event is to celebrate the start of the program called Healthier School Year for America’s Kids. The award presentation will take place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

The public portion of the school board meeting will begin at 7 p.m. tonight in the board room at 2271 West Louise Ave.