In what could be the most significant investment in the performing arts in the history of the Manteca-Lathrop community, the Manteca Unified board on Tuesday will consider spending $250,000 on a conceptual design solution for a performing arts center at the district office complex.
It has the potential in one fell swoop to address program deficiencies at all five high schools identified by school administrators, teachers, classified staff and students. It also can significantly bolster district elementary performing arts programs, and open the door for community-based program in Manteca, Lathrop and Southwest Manteca which is Weston Ranch.
Manteca Unified staff started pondering the possibility of a district campus facility after the big ticket item kept surfacing in campus needs assessments as well as addressing parity between campuses and serving emerging students.
Building a performing arts theatre and classrooms for related programs at East Union High and Sierra High carries a price tag of at least $12 million at each location. And to modernize the performing arts theatre at Manteca High and add related classrooms that would create a facility that likely would be smaller than the ones at EU and Sierra would cost at least $3.3 million.
The needs assessment for Weston Ranch and Lathrop High haven’t been addressed to the same degree as they are the district’s newest two high schools and as such aren’t specifically referenced in the report regarding the item for Tuesday’s 7 p.m. board meeting at the district office.
Preliminary cost for one central performing arts center at the district office complex has been pegged at $14.6 million. To address programming needs for emerging students the tab is $42 million just at three high school campuses. If a similar facility was built at each of the district’s five comprehensive campuses the price tag would be in excess of $70 million.
Manteca Unified Community Outreach Director Victoria Brunn said such an approach would avoid creating five separate facilities that wouldn’t be used as much as one central location.
The vision is to augment what is on existing campuses such as “black box” or one-room theaters as well as the smaller performing arts center at Manteca High.
It would provide a venue for high school concerts, plays, and similar presentations.
Joint elementary programs also could be conducted. The district location is also expected to be large enough that it could accommodate eighth grade promotion ceremonies and possibly high school graduations.
Brunn, noting Manteca and Lathrop as well as southwest Stockton make heavy use of district facilities for community-based recreation, would be able to do the same for performing arts.
It is not unusual in many districts for non-profits to use school venues for concerts such as what was offered by the now disbanded Manteca Kindred Arts organization and even community theatre groups.
What is unusual is for a district with multiple high school campuses to use a central site away from campuses to avoid duplicating not just construction costs but those connected with ongoing maintenance and operations.
The district campus at Louise Avenue – as the crow flies — is within a mile of East Union High, 1½ miles of Sierra High, 2½ miles of Manteca High, and 5 miles of Lathrop High.
The board is being asked to make an initial allocation of $250,000 to develop a program summary and conceptual design solution for the project. Initial planning costs will center on conceptual planning services including but not limited to; architectural design, educational & technical specifications, scoping documents, cost estimating, geotechnical investigations, and topographical surveys.
State funds set aside for capital outlay will cover the cost of the study.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
