Manteca Unified could need another elementary school within five years to avoid the prospect of year round school in high growth areas.
That elementary school may not be in the form of a new campus, however. It could consist of new classroom clusters and not portable classrooms at existing schools. The first phase of Measure G school bond projects were designed in such a manner that needed infrastructure such as lines for sewer and water were stubbed to allow future expansion.
Not only were potential classrooms incorporated into modernization layouts to assure safety and functionality gains would not be impacted, but the state Department of Education has given preliminary approval to the concept of adding classrooms.
Between Lathrop, Golden West, Sequoia, Shasta, and Lincoln Schools where $56.4 million of bond work has been completed, the district could add permanent classrooms that would result in the equivalent of 1.5 more elementary school campuses.
“The easiest place to add classrooms would be at Sequoia School,” noted Deputy Superintendent Clark Burke. “You could add a 10-pack of classrooms on the other side of the multi-purpose room.”
The Measure G work placed a cluster of eight classrooms along with the new office on the west side of Sequoia’s multipurpose room.
A significant number of classrooms could also be added at Lathrop School. Lathrop elementary campuses are currently the hardest hit in terms of enrollment nearing the capacity of Mossdale, Lathrop, and Widmer schools.
No Measure G money will go toward future classrooms that will be built. The district decided it would be fiscally prudent, however to make sure the designs of the five campuses would allow for more permanent classrooms to handle growth.
Currently between developer fees and existing Mello Roos bonding capacity the school  board could opt to build a new elementary school. That decision is likely to be made the end of this year.
And thanks to the design of the modernization projects the district could also afford to add elementary classrooms in the near future.
A new elementary campus would cost $25 million for land, grading, infrastructure, classrooms, and support facilities such as a multipurpose room, parking lots, fields, and a library to accommodate a campus of 800 students
Adding 10 classrooms at Sequoia School would cost $3 million to house roughly 300 students or about 35 percent of the capacity of a new elementary school.
There would be no need for infrastructure and support facilities such as a multiple-purpose room as they are already in place.
Measure G work
at Shasta School
The biggest change at Shasta School was moving the office from deep inside the campus to the front as well as building new classrooms to replace dilapidated portables.
The front parking lot was extended allowing a cleaner separation of students and vehicles in the drop-off zone. The exit also was changed to enter Edison Street at 90 degrees instead of the angle it was at previously that compromised sight lines.
A separate drop off zone was created for kindergarten students to the rear of the campus.
The center of the campus was cleaned up with concrete placing problematic asphalt and new landscaping put in place to reduce maintenance and watering.
Some existing classrooms were updated with several receiving new “store fronts” — doors with an accompanying window panel — to address dry rot issues.
Just like with other campuses that had wooden doors, the classrooms at Shasta School that lacked steel doors had them put in place.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com