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-BEGIN REPORT-
PACIFIC GROVE UNIFIED
SCHOOL DISTRICT
TASK GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS
December 15, 1998
The Pacific Grove Unified School District
(PGUSD) Board of Trustees established a Task Group in the fall
of 1997. The charge given the Task Group was as follows: "To
assess the reality of our district's financial health; to facilitate,
develop and recommend proposal(s) necessary to provide long-term
financial strength and educational improvement: and to specifically
address facilities reduction, consolidation and replacement options
with findings".
Section 17390 of the California Education Code requires the school
district advisory committee to: (a) review the projected school
enrollment and other data to determine the amount of surplus
space and real property, (b) establish a priority list of surplus
space, (c) circulate a priority list of surplus space and provide
for hearings on acceptable uses, (d) make a final determination
of limits of tolerance of use, (e) forward recommendations of
uses to the governing board.
This report provides the Task Group's proposals for long-term
financial strength and educational improvement requested by the
Board. It addresses items (a) and (b) of Section 17390.
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PREFACE: The
Task Group in February, 1998, prepared and presented to the District
Board a 68 page document entitled "Report on the State of
the District". The report made the following findings:
Given current revenue sources, and the
immediate need to address deferred facility maintenance, the
District will have little flexibility in developing future budgets.
Building maintenance, equipment replacement
and employee benefits have been under funded in order to contain
expenditures. Therefore, in order to properly fund these items,
additional revenue must be generated.
PGUSD has a declining enrollment. Based
on regional population forecasts and an enrollment comparison
and projections, the Task Group estimates an average decline
of 36 students per year through 2008.
District facilities are in serious disrepair.
The health and safety of students and staff is at risk.
The District owns substantial real estate
that can be leveraged to provide income.
With budgetary restraints, declining
enrollment, and the immediate need to repair and maintain District
buildings, the Task Group focused on facilities reduction, consolidation
and replacement.
A second report "Report on School
District Design Options" was released in March of 1998.
This report recommended hiring of consultant expertise to examine
reconfiguration arrangements, pursuing a General Obligation Bond,
and reuse of sites to generate a revenue stream.
In response to this recommendation, the District hired a consultant
to provide needed information related to school reconfiguration.
The consultant, Thayer Management Services produced a report
that estimated a decline in District enrollment of 450 students
by the year 2003 and the need for approximately $16 million of
improvements.
In the Fall of 1998 the Task Group analyzed the educational and
fiscal impacts of eight models for reconfiguration models. Additionally,
the Group received a report from Tom Shannon of Enshallah, Inc.
on reuse potential and steps to be followed in school closure.
The discussions and materials received on these topics are highlighted
in the Task Group minutes.
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TASK GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS
SUMMARY: On December 13, 1998,
the Task group met and developed proposals to forward to the
Board. These proposals are being forwarded to the Board. A public
hearing should be scheduled on the acceptable uses and the Task
Group will meet to make a final determination of limits of tolerance
of use.
In summary, the proposals include:
The District should develop and fund
a long term Capital Improvement Program.
Revenue should be generated by leasing
of two surplus school sites.
Lighthouse school should be leased for
full reuse.
The Middle School site should be made
available for partial reuse
The Middle School site should serve
as a community learning and cultural center.
The Adult School relocation to the current
Middle School site would provide an enhanced program to Pacific
Grove residents. The auditorium, gym and office spaces (currently
classrooms) would be made available to a non-profit or for-profit
organization for development of community serving activities
such as a theater or conference center, recreational or training
activities. The track and field area would be leased through
a long term lease for recreational use, or other needed community
purpose.
Grade level assignments at each site
would change to:
Kindergarten through second grade at
Robert Down,
third through fifth grades at David
Avenue,
sixth through eighth grade at Forest
Grove, and ninth to twelfth grade at the High School.
The Adult School and Community High
would be housed at the Middle School site.
The District Office is to move to the
High School campus.
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SPECIFIC PROPOSALS: After review of enrollment data, the Task Group
finds that the Pacific Grove Unified School District has surplus
space and real property needed to serve its student population.
The Task Group proposes the following the uses and steps for
implementing a reconfiguration of School District property.
1. Develop a Capital Improvement Plan.
Rationale- The
District must allocate an appropriate level of funding each year
for facility maintenance, renovation and improvements. The District
currently operates deteriorated facilities that place the health
and safety of students and staff at risk. Deferred maintenance
has allowed the District to balance the budget in recent years.
Renovation and repair is imperative, and these expenses can no
longer be deferred.
Implementation-The following steps are needed to assure
that District facilities are improved and maintained.
Hire a facility consultant to prepare
a long-term Capital Improvement Plan for District facilities
Allocate appropriate funding annually
($500,000 level) for improvement and maintenance of facilities.
Identify funding priorities (address
immediate health and safety improvements as first priority)
Take immediate actions to correct the
most serious deficiencies.
Focus all improvements on the campuses
to be retained by the District.
Seek State funding assistance and grants
for those facilities that are eligible for funding.
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2. Declare two sites as surplus property
and reconfigure the District
Rationale - The rationale for
declaration of surplus property and reconfiguration is as follows:
District enrollment has declined for
the past four years, and is projected to continue to decline
through the year 2008 by a conservative estimate of 157 students.
The District has a limited amount of
income with which to operate its schools. Revenues increase an
average of only 3.8 percent per year.
Revenue sources are insufficient to
meet the increased costs of operation and maintenance of schools
that are over 30 years old.
The District is operating too many schools
for the current and future enrollment, resulting in increased
overhead, maintenance and operational staff expenses.
The District has real estate that can
be offered for lease if the District were reconfigured.
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Public Comment Considered In Reconfiguration
Analysis-
Since its first meeting on October 23, 1997, the Task Group has
held over 29 public meetings and received and considered ideas
and feedback from the community. Most of the ideas and feedback
received are contained in the March 1998 Report on the School
District Design Options and the minutes of subsequent meetings.
Additional considerations taken into
account in the final recommendations included:
Maintain the present Middle School system
of grades 6-8 on one site.
Maintain the High School on the current
campus.
Maintain the Adult School on one site.
Close the minimum number of sites to
provide the highest reuse income.
Utilize the High School campus for maximum
use.
In closing any site the goal is to provide
updated, structurally safe, well maintained facilities to meet
the future educational needs of our children.
Current educational programs are to
be retained or improved under any recommendation made by the
Task Group.
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Recommended Plan for Reconfiguration
- The task group is recommending the phasing in of reconfiguration
over a five year period.
STAGE 1 Schedule in year 2000-2001
- Close David Avenue School- Continue
to lease for private school use (Pacific Oaks) until remodeling
of David Avenue underway.
- Move Kindergarten to Robert Down School
- Move Grades 1-2 to Robert Down
- Move Grades 3-5 to Forest Grove School
as temporary site.
Rationale- Closing
David Avenue School is the first step. The District can maintain
current private school leases on the property. Taking the site
"off line" will have operational savings for the District.
The Task Group recommended creating a K-2 at Robert Down and
a 3-5 school at Forest Grove (temporary location). It should
be noted that there was not consensus within the Task Group on
the elementary grade level configuration. After lengthy discussion,
a majority of the Group ultimately supported the K-2 and 3-5
approach. Arguments that were made in favor of a K-2 school and
a 3 -5 grade school included consideration of educational impacts.
Concentration of grade levels makes it possible to direct resources
to specific age groups. For example, resources such as Chapter
1, library books, recreational equipment, etc. for the first
and second grade will no longer have to be distributed between
two district sites. Block Grant and SIP funds can be spent more
effectively on a specific grade level. Similar to the Kindergarten
Concept, teachers in each grade level will have the opportunity
to work together to strengthen the curriculum and activities.
This will have the additional benefits of assuring consistency
in program for all students at a grade level.
Arguments in favor of a K-5 grade approach included that children
can benefit from having exposure to older grade levels. Such
a configuration implements more of a neighborhood school approach
and allows siblings to stay together in the same school for longer
periods. Finally, this approach would minimize the impact of
changing schools on existing elementary students.
Robert Down was selected to serve as an elementary site because
of its historic and community value. It was recognized that Robert
Down requires significant renovation at considerable expense.
However, if Robert Down is to be used for a school site, it can
best serve the younger age groups, because Robert Down has smaller
classrooms and more limited field area.
Forest Grove was selected as the temporary site for Grades 3rd
through 5th until remodeling is completed at David Avenue. Since
Forest Grove serves this age population currently, it was concluded
that little or no renovation is needed to serve as a temporary
site for grades 3-5.
Both Robert Down and Forest Grove will require the construction
of additional classrooms. As the enrollment declines, the number
of classrooms needed at Robert Down will decrease. Forest Grove
will ultimately be used as a Middle School facility, and any
additional classrooms that are added during the interim use as
an elementary site, should be planned with the Middle School
facility needs in mind.
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STAGE 2 Schedule
in year 2001-2002
- Remodel David Avenue for grades 3-5.
Rationale- Although
David Avenue was considered for reuse it was felt that retaining
David Avenue was important because it consists of 14 acres and
would provide flexibility for the future. This site provides
the largest land area for an elementary site should the District's
enrollment increase unexpectedly and additional classrooms are
needed at some point in the future. David Avenue is also located
in a natural setting that provides additional opportunities for
use of the forest and space away from homes or other properties.
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STAGE 3 Schedule
in year 2002-2003
- Move grades 3-5 to David Avenue
- Remodel Forest Grove
Rationale- With
the completion of remodeling at David Avenue, grades 3rd through
5th can be moved to David Avenue and remodeling can begin on
Forest Grove. Forest Grove was selected to be remodeled as the
new Middle School site because of the potential to share some
facilities with the High School. Forest Grove is one of our newest
campuses, and State assistance would be available for part of
the remodel expense. New facilities including an auditorium,
gymnasium and specialized classrooms will require construction
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STAGE 4 Schedule
in year 2003-2004
- Move Middle School grades 6-8 to Forest
Grove
Rationale- The
Middle School, located on Forest Avenue, is the most expensive
site in the District to renovate and maintain. Continued substantial
investment will be required to maintain this site for a school
use. Additionally, rebuilding of the gym and older buildings
will be required. This facility does not qualify for State assistance
to remodel. The proximity of this property to downtown and senior
care facilities make the Middle School site highly desirable
for reuse. Because of the large amount of acreage available at
this site, this property has the ability to offer the District
the flexibility to accommodate the Adult School, Community High,
and still have additional space that can be leased. The entire
city block behind the Middle School can be used to generate income.
The auditorium may have reuse potential by a non-profit or for
profit entity as a community theater or convention center.
A community use similar to Carmel's Sunset Center is also possible.
The gym could be leased for community recreation. The Adult School
budget could be used to update and maintain this facility. The
entities leasing remaining portions of the property would be
responsible for funding renovation and repairs.
- Move Adult School to former Middle
School site.
Rationale- This
facility is conveniently located in the middle of the city. Located
near senior retirement center, the Adult School could provide
a life-long learning center for the community. Relocating the
Adult School will be a positive move for the District and the
community, because it will allow the Adult School to continue
and expand its program, and generate revenue for the District.
- Move District Office to High School.
Rationale- Relocating
the District Office to the High School (in an area such as the
O Wing with a driveway off Country Club Gate) centralizes the
District/School concept by placing District Offices, High School,
and Forest Grove on adjacent sites. When feasible, administrative
functions could be shared.
- Move Community High School to new Adult
School site.
Rationale- With
the removal of the District Offices, the current buildings at
the new Adult School site can be moved and reused on another
site or demolished to provide parking for the Adult School. The
Community High will be moved possibly into the shop area of the
Adult School. This would allow the District to lease the entire
block behind the former Middle School.
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Sites Available For Reuse
1. Lighthouse School
Rationale- Lighthouse was not
selected for use as a school site because it is the smallest
site in terms of acreage, and would be one of the more expensive
schools to renovate. Lighthouse School has a high potential for
generating substantial reuse revenue. The surrounding multi-family
and visitor serving properties present a variety of reuse options.
2. Middle School athletic field (one city block), Auditorium
and Gym.
Rationale- This property is centrally located in the City.
Reuse of this property will allow the District to generate revenue,
provide a benefit to the City and an opportunity for an enhanced
adult school program.
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Steps of Implementation
Hire a consultant to prepare a District
Capital Improvement Plan.
Prepare construction plans for sites.
Assign a committee to define facility
needs.
Hire architect and engineers to prepare
plans and specifications in the following order: David Avenue,
Forest Grove, High School.
Hire reuse consultant to market Lighthouse
and Middle School.
Develop parcel maps, tentative maps,
State compliance documents.
Aggressively market sites.
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NOTE: This
report is submitted to the Board of Trustee on December 30, 1998,
on behalf of the following Task Group members: Sherry Boyle,
Sara Boyns, Annette Chaplin-Lindstrom, Jim Colangelo, Lynn Davis,
Jane Durant-Jones, Paula Crivello, Richard Stillwell, and Sally
Ward. David Campbell registered his dissent.
-END REPORT-
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