YHS construction project

Earlene Ward

8-26-03

A commitment from the State of California to provide $7.8 million to the Yosemite Joint Union High School District for its construction project has allowed the board of trustees to authorize Superintendent Bill McCabe to go out to bid for a 23-classroom complex and a swimming pool complex.

The state funds are coming from the bond measure voters passed statewide two years ago. This is money YJUHSD has been entitled to as a match for its $11.76 million bond passed in 1998. Until this funding commitment, YJUHSD had only received $4 million from the state in matching funds.

“This will allow us to complete our construction project,” Mr. McCabe says. “We are extremely pleased that we will be able to build everything we promised when we asked the voters to pass the bond five years ago.”

The projected completion date for the classrooms and pool complex is August 1, 2004.

Other projects that will be completed in the next 18 months are a performing arts center, completion of a soccer field and installation of an all-weather nine-lane track. The football field will also be renovated.

In addition to the state funds, the district has a $1 million private donation for the swimming complex and a $100,000 grant for the all-weather track. Developer fees will also be used to complete the projects.

Work is currently underway on baseball and softball fields. Much of the expense for the baseball field has been private donations.

Private funds will also be used to build a riding arena at the Yosemite High School farm.

Construction is underway on a music classroom building. This should be completed and occupied before the end of 2003. After the new building is in use, the current music / drama building will be converted into a 400-seat performing arts center.

Two of the original buildings on the YHS campus were re-roofed this summer. The buildings were constructed in the mid-1970s with wooden roofs. The new roofs are metal. Within the next two to three years, the district plans to replace all of the wood roofs.

A new access road to the school and a new parking area were completed last week. The area where the parking in front of the district office had been located is where the 23-classroom complex will begin. The classrooms will stretch from in front of the district office to in front of the library.

At the completion of the planned construction project, just one building on campus will not have been remodeled. This is the home economics / art building. “We will use developer fees to renovate this building within three to four years,” Mr. McCabe said.

Mr. McCabe stresses that all of the money for construction is coming from bonds the voters approved. “Some find it odd that we are building when the state is in a budget crisis,” he says, “but none of this money could be used for anything other than school construction.”

Mr. McCabe says the district has received this funding from the state because of persistence in moving forward with plans even though money was not available. “When they allocated funds from the bond, those districts that had approved plans had priority. We were fortunate to be in that position.”

The YJUHSD Board of Trustees also approved hiring KH Construction as the construction manager for the classroom and pool complexes.

“This entire project has been a community effort,” Mr. McCabe said, “from passing our bond measure in 1998 to the many private donations we have received to help us with some of the projects. This facility belongs to the public and all facilities will be available for public use when they are completed, including the pool and the performing arts center.”