Editor’s note: This is the second in a series regarding Manteca Unified school district facilities and plans to accommodate students generated by growth.
The highest profile Manteca Unified Measure G bond project is arguably the new Manteca High gym-swimming pool complex.
Like other Measure G projects, it was a modernization project rooted in the need to address critical repair at aging campuses and to correct health and safety issues while making sure facilities can support current education programming.
It is also representative of one other common denominator of the $159 million bond approved in 2014 of which $137.5 million has been spent to date.
Work that has been done — whether it was with essential support facilities such as multipurpose rooms or underground infrastructure such as water, sewer, and power lines — is designed to accommodate additional classrooms at select campuses in the coming years to handle growth.
In doing so, it creates a high probability that the district at least in the next 10- to 20 year horizon will be able to leverage what revenue they have from future Mello Roos taxes and growth fees to fund classrooms to accommodate growth.
The strategy on how to do that varies somewhat from campus to campus.
Manteca High — the district’s oldest campus as well as being at the epicenter of current high school enrollment growth — has improvements put in place that will allow the campus to go from one with educational facilities designed to teach 1,750 students to 2,200 students.
The biggest component was having a gym large enough to accommodate that many students at one time. The old main gym that is now the secondary gym will seat only about 700.
The Measure G projects also replaced an aging swimming pool that does not meet current standards. It also addressed major security issues by making improvements to a former section of Garfield Avenue that eliminated the ability of people to literally walk at will through the middle of the campus.
The district also did basic campus master planning so that when the need arose they could fast track approvals from the state for additional classrooms.
An example is at Lincoln School. Not only was the underground infrastructure put in place and stubbed for eventual extension to add classrooms in the future on the south side of the campus, but the plans submitted to the state for the Measure G project also included basic site specific information for classrooms.
That means when Manteca Unified does move forward with adding classrooms it won’t take the usual two years to secure Division of State Architect approval. With the classroom locations encompassed in the site plan approved for Measure G products, a quicker review process will be possible for actual construction drawings.
The heart of the Measure G projects was addressing issues that come with many campuses involved being over 50 years of age.
The list of common issues at various campuses included drainage, playground and sidewalk issues, grading problems that allowed pooling of water, aging plumbing and electrical wiring, roof issues, flooring, and inadequacies due to changing education programming needs such as inadequate power outlets.
Every campus had security-related problems addressed whether it was the need for more robust surveillance or offices resituated for better control over people who come and go from campus to door hardware and communication systems designed to be much more effective in lockdown situations.
The projects completed during this year that had Measure G funds allocated toward them include:
*Nile Garden School: New multipurpose room, new kindergarten classroom building, expanded parking lot, fire alarm, and paging system replacement.
*East Union High: Perimeter security fencing, construction of agricultural shop and classroom building, renovation of existing classrooms, fire alarm and paging system replacement, and restroom modernization.
*Manteca High: New large gym, new softball field, new swimming pool, 10 new classrooms, fire alarm and paging system replacement, new aerobics room, and Garfield Avenue site improvements.
*New Haven School: New multi-purpose room, new restroom building playground and asphalt replacement, kindergarten and bathroom upgrade, and fire alarm and paging system replacement.
*French Camp School: New building with eight modern classrooms, a learning commons and restrooms, a new parking lot, removal of failing portable classrooms, accessibility upgrades, and plumbing improvements.
*Neil Halfey School: New outdoor classroom, new playground, new roofing, full asphalt replacement, and new paging system.
*McParland School: New multipurpose room, new playground, new paging system, cafeteria conversion to classrooms, and asphalt replacement.
*Sierra High: Fire alarm and paging system replacement, classroom modernizations, field improvements, parking lot renovation, and perimeter fencing improvements. Swimming pool renovations will soon get underway as well.
Campus modernization projects that were completed between 2015 and 2017 were at Sequoia, Lincoln, Lathrop, Golden West, and Shasta schools.
Modernization projects in the process of moving forward include district-wide HVAC replacements with improved ventilation, heating, and cooling for all school sites; new accessible playgrounds for all elementary campuses; and swimming pool renovations at Weston Ranch High.
Additional modernization projects will also take place at August Knodt, Brock Elliott, Joshua Cowell, Stella Brockman, Joseph Widmer, Georg Komure and Great Valley schools.
To contact Dennis Wyatt email dyatt@mantecabuleltn.com
