A century ago this year, Manteca High’s first permanent campus was dedicated after being built at a cost of $200,000.
It included an auditorium that seated 550 with a stage that had a gym floor for basketball games complete with a net to prevent errant basketballs or people from falling into the orchestra pit.
The mission-style campus with the beloved tower had all the latest technology including phone lines to all of the classrooms.
It was built to eventually accommodate upwards of 400 students.
The baseball field was on sandy loam that literally sent sand flying on every play.
And the football field where Manteca High would when its first football game ever that year was made possible by farmers using their own equipment.
On Tuesday, 100 years and 239 days after their predecessors dedicated the new school on Jan. 27, 1923, the Manteca Unified School is expected to authorize two projects that would likely astonish the by 1,500 people attending the ceremony a century ago.
*Authorize moving ahead with a $30.2 million contract to build 20 classrooms in a two-story structure along Mikesell Street where a cluster of 10 classrooms were built two years ago with Measure G bond proceeds. The project cost also includes a new a $4.9 million woodshop.
*Award two contracts for $13 million to renovate the Manteca High football stadium complete with new lighting, a new track surface, new visitors bleachers, plus other upgrades.
Once the 2-story classroom is completed, older classrooms in the central part of the campus will be torn down to make way for a second two-story classroom building.
That structure will be built along Sherman Avenue with 32 classrooms connected with a new media center via a student quad. It will be somewhat of a mirror of the 2-story classroom structure now under construction at East Union High on the west side of the campus along Union Road.
The new classroom is funded with Measure A bond receipts with the district hoping to obtain career technical education grant assistance from the state to cover part or all for the cost of the woodshop.
The stadium work utilizes a variety of funding sources — redevelopment funds, developer fees, and restrictive maintenance funds, as well as a special reserve for capital outlay.
When combined with the Measure G work that has already been done including the new gym and swimming pool, the 10 classrooms, and significant infrastructure improvements, the district will have spent $86 million in modernizing the campus.
The second classroom structure is expected to push that total past the $120 million mark.
Due to Manteca High being on a somewhat smaller land footprint than the East Union and Sierra campuses, the district needed to concentrate most of the classroom work in two story buildings.
When everything is done, Manteca will be able to accommodate an enrollment of 2,250 students based on an educational program capacity.
If the district had opted to build a new campus, the cost would have been in excess of $220 million.
The MSUD board meets Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the RESC Bulling at the district complex at 2271 Lousie avenue for a study session on enrollment and facilities. Then at 6:05 p.m. they will conduct a meeting to determine whether to move forward with the Manteca High projects.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
