Aaron Bowers looked down Garfield Avenue that splits Manteca High in two and thought of the possibilities.

The street — if abandoned and added to the footprint of the 42-acre Manteca High campus — could open up a lot of options.

uThe 680-seat Winters Gym that is too small to accommodate the high school’s 1,500 students for an assembly could be extended.

uThe campus could be reorientated with the office relocated closer to Moffat Boulevard for enhanced security and campus flow.

uThere could be space for upwards of 20 more classrooms.

Bowers — the Manteca Unified Director of Operations — is among those who will be working on a blueprint, if you will, in the coming months to masterplan Manteca High for its second 100 years that starts in 2020. 

Everything is on the table when it comes to keeping the district’s oldest campus viable for years to come.

But as Deputy Superintendent Clark Burke notes without the real estate on Garfield Avenue between Mikesell Street and a point north of Moffat Boulevard the options for Manteca High will be limited meaning the masterplan being put together for the campus may not obtain the best possible outcome.

Changing the status of Garfield Avenue from a street Manteca High can block off due to a serious concern over student safety during the school day to collapsing it into the campus has to be addressed within the year.

That’s because the pending Measure G bond work for health, safety and modernization needs at Manteca High is part of the third wave of bond projects expected to move forward sometime in 2017-2018. Measure G work would be the first phase of implementing a campus masterplan.

The campus is getting the lion’s share of earmarked Measure G funds — $30 million.

But that isn’t enough to bring all aspects of the campus that essentially has a combination of five eras of school buildings up to 21st century expectations

“We could easily spend $140 million at Manteca High,” Burke said.

The $30 million set aside isn’t likely to address the gym issue given it doesn’t fall in the top three categories for prioritizing projects as established by the school board — health, safety, and modernization first.

And, according to Bowers, it may not make any sense to spend money expanding the gym given structural issues and the cost.

“We may be much better off razing the two gyms and building two new ones,” Burke said.

But that likely isn’t in the cards for now.

40 bathrooms may

cost $2 million plus

to modernize

The school district working with Principal Frank Gonzales will assess facilities and address the most pressing needs that fall under the Measure G priorities.

On that list are modernizing restrooms.

There are 40 on the Manteca High campus with some as old as 50 years plus.

Gonzales noted custodians spend an average of 13.5 minutes cleaning each restroom at the end of each school day. That is 13.5 hours per shift.

A tour of the restrooms on Friday revealed no major maintenance issues save for a stuck faucet that is on a repair list.

Bowers notes custodian crews keep the aging restrooms in good shape.

The big issues are what you don’t see — the pipes.

Half century plus old plumbing poses problems.

It is why of all of the restrooms at Manteca High are addressed as a Measure G project it could eat up at least $2 million of the $30 million set aside for the campus.

The 97-year-old campus is a study in contrast.

Last year a state-of-the-art four classroom science wing — the newest in Manteca Unified — was completed using a state grant. Just to the north of it is an aging classroom wing where classrooms were air conditioned years after they were built with HVAC units resting atop the outside hallway canopy. The older classroom wing also has a series of solid pipes shooting up from the ground at the hallway’s edge containing the wiring needed to make the classrooms function for the Going Digital initiative.

“It’s an old campus,” Bowers said. “You have to find ways to make things work.”

As for making things work, Bowers, Burke and the Manteca High faculty have nothing but praise for what Gonzales along with the custodial, maintenance, and grounds staff have been able to do.

“It’s old but it’s well-kept,” Burke said if the campus.

Burke pointed out efforts Gonzales had taken to make sure students have pride in their school and to honor the Buffalo tradition. It ranges from adding Buffalo emblems and paint to trying to create a college-like campus where he can such as with the banners showcasing student accomplishments attached to light poles on the campus east of Garfield Avenue where there are 15 classrooms as well as athletic facilities separated by a city street from the main part of the campus.

Improving security is

a challenge at MHS

Part of Gonzales’ effort has been to improve security.

To keep the homeless from sleeping in shrubs and other landscaping along Garfield Avenue between Mikesell and Yosemite Avenue, Gonzales had crews trim back shrubs so branches are far from the ground. That has eliminated sleeping spots for the homeless and stopped concerns about students being startled and/or intimidated while going to school or walking between classes by the homeless awakening from a night’s slumber.

That doesn’t mean the homeless problem for Manteca High and issues caused by some that live in weekly motels along Moffat or who are squatting where a trailer park was razed is gone. Far from it.

The homeless sleep on an almost routine basis around the press box at the football stadium. The homeless and others jump fences and walk across fields.

“This (Manteca High) is the most challenging when it comes to security,” Burke said.

There are no less than a dozen access points.

The biggest security enhancements of late were the installation of wrought iron fencing where there once was no fencing before along Sherman Avenue. The gates along Sherman are kept locked during the school day. Also on that list was the city allowing gates to be installed to block off Garfield Avenue during the school day. Closing Garfield to traffic means students can avoid having to dodge cars while going to and from classes.

At least four of the 15 classrooms east of Garfield aren’t behind any fence. Teachers keep the doors locked during class to keep the potential for problems at a minimum. In addition, one of the four campus monitors is stationed in the area where anyone can walk through the middle of the campus along Garfield Avenue while classes are in session.

While relocating the school office to improve security closer to Moffat is an idea being kicked around and may never get traction, should it happen the front of the high school would still feel like an entrance much like what is happening at Lincoln School where the new entrance will face Powers Avenue.

The Lincoln switch reduces traffic congestion and safety issues on Yosemite and also greatly enhances the ability of the school to be secured.

Relocating the Manteca High office could also greatly improve the ability to secure the school.

It can’t be considered, however, with Garfield Avenue still slicing the Manteca High campus in two.