Schools
June 7, 2017 BOT Meeting - Let the Record be Corrected to Reflect the Truth
$45 million spent to increase capacity at three high schools- only one is really getting more seats. What did tax payers get for their money
June 11, 2017
Capistrano Unified School District
33122 Valle Road
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Re: Facilities Improvement Projects - San Juan Hills - Tesoro - San Clemente
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Dear Superintendent Vital and Trustees:
At the June 7, 2017 Board of Trustees Meeting during Oral Communication I expressed my concern about spending $45 million in taxpayer money for the construction of three 2-Story Classroom buildings at a cost of $15 million each, on the San Juan Hills campus, the Tesoro campus and San Clemente High's campus. These buildings were approved by Trustees because Trustees thought that new capacity was being built at all three campuses. The only "new" capacity is at San Juan Hills.
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This came to light at the January 25, 2017 in a discussion of Agenda Item #7:
Award Bid No 1617-15 Modular Building Services at Tesoro High School. Agenda Item #7 Is a contract to lease (16) 24' X 40' Portable Classrooms + (2) 12 X 40 Restrooms for Tesoro. Board Audio at 37:56
Agenda Item #15 Is a contract to remove 22 existing Portable Classrooms and replace them with a new 24 classroom building.
Board Audio at 47:56
The discussion at the January 25, 2017 Board meeting revealed that Tesoro would actually loose classrooms for 2017-18 (removing 22 old portables and leasing 16) and then gaining a new 24 classroom building when construction is complete which would result in a net increase of capacity of 2 classrooms for Tesoro High School.
The long discussion continued into a discussion about Mello Roos and School of Choice which revealed that Staff/Superintendent had a very different Agenda than what Trustees were gave direction for.
Note: at Board Audio at 60:28 Superintendent Vital actual lies to Trustees by stating San Clemente is getting 2-4 classrooms when the contract clearly states: There will be no change in student or staff numbers on this campus.
After I spoke at the June 7, 2017 meeting regarding these projects, Trustee McNicholas asked if the Superintendent would like to clarify anything for the record. The District basically implied that I was mis-informed, and that the the Public record needed to reflect the following "clarifications":
Board Audio at 25:34 Superintendent Clarification
- These three classroom buildings are not modular buildings, they are bricks and sticks.
- The San Clemente High building was built so that no district funds would be needed to bring the San Clemente upper campus into ADA compliance.
- There have not been any cost overruns on these projects in the millions of dollars.
Because there is no opportunity for a member of the Public to make corrections to Superintendent Vital's "clarification" of my Public Comment, I felt compelled to write this letter and ask that this letter be incorporated into the Board minutes for June 7, 2017, and be made part of the Public Record so that I could rebut false and mis-leading statements made by the Superintendent after my comment.
These three projects were approved by Trustees because they were told that these buildings would add Capacity at all sites. The only project that was truly intended to "add" capacity is San Juan Hills which is adding 648 seats. Tesoro is going to be down 2 classrooms for 2017-18 and then a net increase of 4 classrooms 2018-19 thereafter. San Clemente High School is loosing 37 parking spacing and not gaining any capacity.
Staff represented that the costs of these building was $15 million per building ($45 million for all three buildings). The actual cost is $10 million ($30 million for all three). There is $15 million that is not accounted for? Staff should explain where this money is being spent.
I attend all of the Board meetings. I read all of the agendas, and it is not appropriate for the Superintendent or Staff to mislead the Public, and correct the record in a manner that is false and misleading to the Public.
These three projects were approved by Trustees because they were told that these buildings would add Capacity at all sites. The only project that was truly intended to "add" capacity is San Juan Hills which is adding 648 seats. Tesoro is going to be down 2 classrooms for 2017-18 and then a net increase of 4 classrooms 2018-19 thereafter. San Clemente High School is loosing 37 parking spacing and not gaining any capacity.
Staff represented that the costs of these building was $15 million per building ($45 million for all three buildings). The actual cost is $10 million ($30 million for all three). There is $15 million that is not accounted for? Staff should explain where this money is being spent.
I attend all of the Board meetings. I read all of the agendas, and it is not appropriate for the Superintendent or Staff to mislead the Public, and correct the record in a manner that is false and misleading to the Public.
STATEMENT OF FACTS FROM THE PUBLIC PERSPECTIVE BASED ON BOARD DOCUMENTATION:
at Slide #5
at Slide #13
Clearly - this presentation to the Board states that you are adding "additional" classrooms on all three campuses and that was the understanding of all Trustees.
Board Audio at 1:53:54
at 1:55:21 The next meeting will have costs.
at 1:57:50 Insane over crowding. There is no high school capacity without expanding the three high schools. We built these new High Schools to small. We need more capacity and it won't be easy to pay for this given the economic climate.
at 2:00.09 The May 13th meeting will have a proposal on how to fund expansion costs. We do not have agreement on the use of CFD's. Vetted by attorneys. The goal is to allow Talega to have a choice between SJH and San Clemente. That being said we may never agree on how to get there... the proportionality, guaranteed seats and the use of the funds.
at 2:02:04 It would cost $200 million to replace San Clemente High. We spent $165 million to build SJH in 2004. Taxpayers in San Clemente will need to step up and continue to support new facilities.
December 14, 2016 BOT Meeting Agenda Item #16 Resolution to Approve the Annual 5-year Reportable Fees Report for 2015-16 pages 224- 240
Board Audio at 121:01
Clearly this shows three Classroom "Addition" projects at a cost of $15 million per building. Staff sold the approval of these three buildings as a need for increasing capacity by adding additional seats at all three schools.
May 27, 2015 Staff did a Capistrano Unified School District Facilities Projects and Funding presentation for Trustees. Again Trustees and the Public were led to believe that CUSD was getting increased capacity at the three high schools at a cost of $15 million per building.
I spoke at the January 25, 2017 BOT meeting and a the supporting documentation for my comments can be found at:
Staff has always represented these three projects are needed to increase capacity at all three High Schools.
As contracts for the construction of these facilities were presented, it became clear that the only "increased capacity" was to be at San Juan Hills High School. My comments at the June 7, 2017 BOT meeting was to ask what taxpayers received for CUSD's $45 million dollar investment?
I feel the record needs to reflect that Staff has mis-lead both the Public and the District regarding these 3 facilities projects. Documents now show the truth for each project:
San Clemente High School Project: NO NEW CAPACITY -LOSS OF 37 Parking Spaces
June 22, 2016 Board Meeting Agenda: Agenda Item #63 at page 848 http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1218998819331/1455438848279/6391347155659653187.pdf
Board Audio at 218:43 (3 hours 38 minutes 43 seconds): http://cusd.capousd.org/cusdweb/audio2015-16/CUSDBoardMeeting.June.22.2016.mp3
The proposed classroom building would total approximately 22,541 square feet and be of light-wood frame construction with localized steel framing. It would feature a total of 24 standard classrooms and support spaces, 2 men’s restrooms, 2 women’s restrooms, and 4 staff restrooms; the number of classrooms and restrooms would be evenly split between the two floors. The building would also include an elevator with an elevator lobby area on each floor, as well as exterior stairs.
CUSD is going to vacate the classrooms on the upper campus leaving those facilities vacant, and move those students to the lower campus.
San Clemente High will loose 37 parking places which will not be replaced.
There will be no change in student or staff numbers on this campus.
September 28, 2016 Board Meeting Agenda: Agenda Item #17 at page 169 http://capousd-ca.schoolloop.com/file/1218998819331/1455438848279/9111586113321678304.pdf
Supporting Documentation for Agenda Item #17
Exhibit A - Bid Summary - Bid No. 1516-10 San Clemente High School Building 800
Agreement - Bid No. 1516-10 San Clemente High School Building 800 - Paul C. Miller Construction Co., Inc.
Bid Form - Bid No. 1516-10 San Clemente High School Building 800 - Paul C. Miller Construction Co., Inc.
There have been change orders: For full Documentation see: https://cusdwatch.com/index.php/january-25-2017-board-of-trustees-meeting/agenda-item-7-modular-building-services-at-tesoro-high-school
San Juan Hills High School Project: NEW CAPACITY 648 Seats and 11 Parking Spots
Board Meeting Agenda: Agenda Item #22 at page 556 http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1218998819331/1455438848279/6391347155659653187.pdf
PHASE ONE- New Parking Area - Removal of 146 parking spots, build 157 new parking spots - Net gain 11 parking spots.
PHASE TWO- Construction of two story classroom building and 5 basketball courts.
The proposed classroom building would total approximately 22,226 square feet and be of light-wood frame construction with localized steel framing. It would feature a total of 24 standard classrooms and support spaces, 2 men’s restrooms, 2 women’s restrooms, and 4 staff restrooms; the number of classrooms and restrooms would be evenly split between the two floors. The building would also include an elevator with an elevator lobby area on each floor, as well as exterior stairs.
Current student population is 2,391. The 24 classrooms would allow for an increase of 648 students making the campus population 3,039. The current staff population on campus would remain as is- "No increase in staff would occur under the proposed project.
Supporting documentation for Agenda Item #16
Exhibit A - Bid Summary - Bid No. 1617-01 San Juan Hills High School Building J
Agreement - Bid No. 1617-01 San Juan Hills High School Building J - Paul C. Miller Construction Co., Inc.
Bid Form - Bid No. 1617-01 San Juan Hills High School Building J - Paul C. Miller Construction Co., Inc.
There have been change orders: For full Documentation see: https://cusdwatch.com/index.php/january-25-2017-board-of-trustees-meeting/agenda-item-7-modular-building-services-at-tesoro-high-school
Tesoro High School Project: New Capacity 2 Classrooms
MODULAR BUILDING LEASE TESORO
January 25, 2017 BOT Meeting Agenda Item #7 Award Bid N0. 1617-15 Modular Building Services at Tesoro High School - Class Leasing LLC
at page 255
January 25, 2017 BOT Meeting Agenda Item #15 Filing a Notice of Exemption for the Tesoro High School Classroom Addition project.
TESORO HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING D
Supporting documentation for April 19, 2017 Agenda Item #6
Exhibit A - Bid Summary at page 158 - Bid No. 1617-20 Tesoro High School Building D
Agreement - Bid No. 1617-20 Tesoro High School Building D - Paul C. Miller Construction Co., Inc.
Bid Form at page 159- Bid No. 1617-20 Tesoro School Building D - Paul C. Miller Construction Co., Inc.
Sincerely,
Dawn Urbanek