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Published on 12/01/1997 All articles from this issue

Los Altos School District progresses on facilities plan

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By Linda Taaffe / Town Crier Staff Writer

At a Nov. 19 special meeting, the Los Altos School District Board of Trustees selected the architectural firm HMC to help the district develop a facilities master plan.

Superintendent Marge Gratiot said besides some emergency repairs, the permanent buildings at the district's eight schools have not been renovated since they were built between 40 and 50 years ago.

She said developing a long-term plan for the district's facilities is a major goal for the school board this year.

"Although they have been maintained well, and roofs and heating systems have been replaced with parcel tax funds, they are starting to show their age," Gratiot said about the district's facilities.

"We need to have them assessed structurally, and determine whether the electrical, gas and water systems are adequate to last for many more years. It makes sense to renovate or replace those systems before they break down completely."

Gratiot said during the coldest week of last winter, the main gas line at Bullis Elementary School broke, leaving the classrooms without heat for several days. Parents helped by lending the district portable electric heaters, but as soon as they were plugged in, the circuits became overloaded and the school lost electricity, she said.

She said in many of the schools' classrooms, there isn't enough electrical power to be able to run an overhead projector and computer at the same time. "If you turn them both on, then the lights go out," she said.

"We would rather be proactive than have that sort of thing happen again."

After a series of public meetings to gather input, HMC will also be making recommendations to the board about alternatives for dealing with increased enrollment. The district's enrollment has grown at a rate of approximately 3 percent a year for the past 10 years, and schools that were built to house 350 students, now have more than 500.

Gratiot said the K-8 district has had to add 63 portable classrooms - almost the same amount as its permanent classrooms - in order to accommodate the approximately 3,600 students enrolled in its schools this year.

"Class size reduction, which we are now fully implementing at four grade levels, has had an additional impact," Gratiot said. "Santa Rita (Elementary) School, for example, has more portable classrooms than it has permanent classrooms."

The firm of HMC was chosen from among eight firms that submitted proposals. In addition to a written proposal, each firm participated in a three-tiered interview process involving staff members, a community committee, and interviews by the school board.

HMC has done planning and school designs for many local districts, including Saratoga, Whisman, Los Gatos and Campbell school districts.

The district's project will be headed by Lee Salin, who is regional vice president of the firm and a local resident.

Gratiot said funding the facilities plan could include proposing a bond measure, borrowing funds or selling district property.

The school district plans to hold its first public forum in January.