The COVID-19 pandemic that forced Manteca Unified and other schools to finish the current academic year with distance learning is allowing the district to move up a Measure G project at Sierra High.

The board was expected Tuesday to give their approval to a $667,446 to replace all flooring at the school that is more than 25 years old.

Flooring replacement was one of the health, safety and long-term maintenance repairs identified for funding as part of the $159 million bond.

Flooring will be replaced in 35 classrooms, 14 portable classrooms, the library, cafeteria, performing arts center, and administrative offices.

The work will be done before the start of the next school year.

Construction projects at other schools funded by Measure G bond proceeds are continuing as such work was identified as essential in pandemic orders issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

There are identified needs costing $31.4 million at Sierra High that fall under health and safety, deferred/major maintenance, modernization and upgrades, and addressing code compliance issues. Sierra High is expected to have $11.9 million in Measure G funds allocated to address campus issues. The identified work at Sierra High illustrates what the district is up against. There is $705,000 worth of health and safety projects including video surveillance, fire alarms as well as concrete and asphalt replacement. Another $9.4 million is budgeted for major and deferred maintenance such as $1.3 million for asphalt replacement, $1.1 million for field improvements, $510,000 for carpet replacement, $2.9 million for heating and air upgrades, $569,000 for new toilets, $1.7 million for painting and wall coverings, $400,000 for kitchen renovations, and $845,000 for roof replacement.

If all of those projects are done, it would eat up $11.3 million or almost the entire $11.9 million.

The list likely not to get funded is identified as modernization and upgrades coming in at $21.2 million.  That includes $7 million for a new theatre, $5.5 million for new vocational education classrooms, $6.4 million to replace portables, $700,000 for additional field upgrades, and $320,000 to remove portables.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantcecabulletin.com