Building by measure: As renovations at San Luis Coastal high schools are completed, the school district puts another bond on the ballot 

Leaky roofs, old AC units, and a lack of school security.

These issues have plagued elementary, middle, and high schools in the San Luis Coastal Unified School District for years. As the district nears completion of renovations at San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay high schools, funded by a $177 million bond passed in 2014, it's asking voters to pass another bond measure in November to pay for remodels at the district's elementary and middle schools.

District Assistant Superintendent Ryan Pinkerton said that it's been six years since construction started at both high schools, and that work is expected to wrap up next year.

"It really ended up being more than $177 million because we went out and got state matching grants for CTE [career technical education]," Pinkerton said. "So we're at about $220 million total for the construction projects with Measure D, and about $180 million of that is directly into the two comprehensive high schools."

In addition to renovating existing infrastructure and updating security systems, both the high schools are in the process of getting state-of-the-art kitchens, digital media labs, welding and engineering classrooms, theaters, sports fields, and swimming pools.

"When I say renovate the buildings, I'm talking new roofs, new HVAC systems, new air conditioning, new flooring, new walls," Pinkerton said. "Everything about the building, so literally gutting them down [to the] studs and rebuilding all of those rooms."

In September, students guided tours of the renovated high schools to show the public all the work that has been done with the Measure D money.

"Most of them weren't there to see what it looked like then, so they're used to a lot of the newer stuff being there, but it's still, I think kids have a good perspective on what it means to have nice, nice restrooms to go to and facilities to use, to have a pool on campus," Pinkerton said.

As that work wraps up, Measure C-22 will be waiting for voters on the Nov. 8 ballot. The $349 million San Luis Coastal bond measure would go toward renovating the 10 elementary schools, two middle schools, and Pacific Beach High School.

"I mean, some of these schools were built in the '50s," Pinkerton said. "And so our hope is to pass another bond now, so hopefully people can see what we've done with the funds at the high schools, and we just want to make those same upgrades at our elementary and middle schools."

Specifically, the bond measure would make safety and security improvements, repair leaky roofs, modernize outdated school facilities—including handicap accessibility improvements—and update electrical systems at the elementary and middle schools.

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• Photo Courtesy Of Matthew Carver
• SAME SCHOOLS, DIFFERENT FAÇADE Over the course of six years, Bond Measure D has funded several projects within the district, including renovations at Morro Bay High School.

Updating security in schools was a big priority for parents who spoke at the May 31 board meeting where board members approved putting the measure on the ballot.

"In the wake of recent events in Texas, I'm concerned about the lack of basic safety measures at my children's school," Melissa Gutierrez wrote in a public comment letter to the district. "Pacheco Elementary would greatly benefit from perimeter fencing, as it is completely open and accessible on all sides. All of the elementary schools in our city have been gifted via added fencing except ours."

Earlier this year, the district conducted a public survey to see if voters would be interested in voting on the measure. Survey results showed an approval rate of 60 percent—and that was prior to any type of information going out to voters, according to information presented to the board on May 17. The measure needs support from at least 55 percent of voters in the district in order to pass.

"Voters in your district were willing to support a number of projects, and they were willing to support the tax rates asked of them," bond advisor John Isom told board members on May 17. "In this case, we asked for $60, $49, and $36 [per property, per year]. They were supportive of all of them."

After looking at the assessed values of properties within the district boundaries, the district decided that Measure C-22 would increase homeowners' property taxes by $49 for every $100,000 of assessed value. According to the San Luis Obispo County Tax Collector's Office, the tax is expected to be collected until fiscal year 2058-59.

"And so, that same $49 now, gets us the $349 million," Pinkerton said, "which seems like a lot, but when you take that and you divide it among 13 schools, it goes quickly in terms of the work and the needs that are there."

Despite Measure C being almost twice as costly as its predecessor, the measure isn't facing any opposition, according to Quinn Brady, a parent and co-chair of the committee Taxpayers for Safe Schools, Vote Yes on C-22.

"I'm a single-income household raising three kids, and every dollar matters for me in my house, and [I'm] deeply sensitive to that many families in this community struggle with affordability here and I'm one of them," Brady said. "That said, I believe that this $20 a month to increase safety in our schools bring schools into modern times is a investment in our future."

Formed a month ago, the committee has spoken to various groups like PTAs and English-learner community committees.

"It takes a community to bring the changes that we want to see," Brady said. "What I'm confident in is that our community sees the need for this and will invest in the future of our youth by investing in school," Brady said. Δ

Reach Staff Writer Shwetha Sundarrajan at [email protected].