Use money for smaller projects, say YHS trustees
of the
Sierra Star
Still reluctant to commit to
borrowing money to finish Yosemite High School’s construction projects, the
district’s Board of Trustees moved to use existing funds to begin work on some
of the items on its new priority list.
As the money is spent, the
trustees will later decide how much borrowed money will be needed to finish all
the projects.
The top four items on the
construction list — remodeling Buildings 700 [drama] and 300 [art, home
economics], building separate band and chorus classrooms plus six other
classrooms, all long-term projects — will go into the design phase.
It will take up to eight months to
get the blueprints of the designs and to wend their way through the state
Architect’s Office, said Bill McCabe, Yosemite High School District superintendent.
In the interim, smaller projects —
reroofing the gym, installing a public address system, improving the
agriculture facility [fencing and a hot house] and placing basketball hoops in
the new gym — will be tackled and completed.
In addition, a new well, the
school’s third, has to be drilled, as YHS is presently operating on one well. A
second has never been a good producer and is now shut down for recovery during
the winter. The school needs a back-up system.
Also on the list, but not to be
worked on this time, are five new portable classrooms, reroofing of all the
older buildings, parking, sewer lines, and renovating baseball and softball
fields.
$2.7 million to spend
There is $2.7 million available to
complete short-term projects, says Mr. McCabe. Any money needs beyond that will
require a loan.
Trustee David Hartesvelt queried
Mr. McCabe why there was now $2.7 million in the construction fund when there
was only $1.7 two weeks ago.
The superintendent said now that
the year-end budget figures have been finalized, the construction fund gained
money from developer fees, money left over from the original bond passed in
1998 and a certificate of deposit. This totaled $3 million. From that was
deducted the cost of the energy project, mitigating the wetlands and renovation
of Building 500 [shop classes]. That left $2.7 million.
5-year loan payoff
Noting that the board was not
willing to borrow $3.5 million, Mr. McCabe presented a plan to pay back, in
five years, a loan of $1.5 million that will be needed to complete all the
projects on the construction list.
Using the increased income in
developer fees (approved two weeks ago) the loan payoff would also be
contingent on passage of a state bond scheduled for 2003. From that, the
district would get $1,185,000 in modernization monies owed by the state.
He said that YHS “is in the middle
of the pack” to receive the modernization money that it has coming from the
state.
“If the state bond doesn’t pass,”
he said, “we will pay $100,000 a year for 30 years” to pay off the loan.
He said that the school could wait
for another year before actually applying for the loan.
Mr. McCabe noted that the “big
missing ingredient [from the construction list] is the swimming pool. It is
more than what people are willing to take on as a debt burden,” he said.
No go on pool, fields
Tony Misner, YHS teacher, who
previously called himself “one-note Tony” for his advocacy of the swimming pool,
said, “I will change my pitch. The pool
is unrealistic.” He asked the board, however, that the pool be put on the next
priority list with the hope that there would be a pool at the high school
before his son, now in the first grade, becomes a freshman.
Announcing he was wearing three
hats, YHS photo/media teacher Larry Pesetski lauded the plans to modify
building 700 for performing arts.
Wearing his softball hat, he said
that the condition of the baseball and softball fields have been a “constant
problem” because of overuse. They have trouble recovering and “it is a safety
hazard.” The fields are not scheduled for immediate work.
Mr. Pesetski suggested that if the
fields were in better condition, the school could run tournaments and make
$65,000 to $75,000, thus “creating a source of revenue for the whole athletic
program.”
He said he has had phone calls
from parents who thought the new fields were in progress, and he asked that
they be kept on the priority list.
He questioned why the school was
paying $100,000 to mitigate the wetlands “if you are not going to do something
about it. I want to hear where we are on our wetland mitigation with the Army
Corps of Engineers,” he asked.
The school is committed to the
wetlands project, and “realistically, we are looking at spring,” said Mr.
McCabe. “We are moving as quickly as the Corps of Engineers can move.”
Hoops and roofs
As a basketball coach, Mr.
Pesetski was concerned as to when the basketball hoops would be installed in
the new gym. Season practice will begin at the beginning of November.
For this the board had a positive
answer. The standards have been ordered, said Buddy Cudd, consultant for
maintenance, operations and transportation., and will be installed at the
school break at the end of October.
Mr. Cudd also said that the gym
needs to be reroofed. After spending $17,000 to redo the gym floor, “the floor
can’t take any water,” he says.
The old roof has been in use for
20 years. The plan is to put on a 5-layer hot-mop composition roof, which
should last another 20 years. That job will also be done at the October break.
Putting on a metal roof was
briefly discussed. Although such a roof would last 100 years, it would cost
$90,000, which the school cannot afford.
Eventually all the roofs on the
original buildings will have to be replaced. An overhang outside the gym is
also set to be covered to keep those attending games dry during inclement
weather and to protect the gym floor from water carried in on clothing.
Borrow or not
Again Mr. McCabe asked the board
if they wanted to borrow.
“I was not comfortable with the
loan and I’m still not,” said board member Tom Allcock.
“Interest rates are as low as they
will ever be,” said Earlene Ward, grant writer for the district. “If we are
feeling we are going to [borrow,] we have to start. Go for the loan.”
“I would like to see us move
forward and bring us to closure,” said teacher Randy Haggard.