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AHSCC prepares to fight for Alpine high school construction
By Lori Bledsoe
The Alpine Sun
ALPINE — At a strategic planning
meeting held on Monday night, the Alpine High School Citizen’s
Committee discussed issues that have been rumored and leaked in
regards to the Proposition H Bond that was passed in March 2004.
Present at this planning meeting were AHSCC members, concerned
residents and parents and GUHSD board vice president Larry
Urdahl.
With the passing of Prop H, GUHSD earmarked money to
that every high school in its district would be renovated and
repaired, which included repairing aging roofs, upgrading the
deteriorating plumbing, restrooms, electrical, technology,
heating and cooling systems. This bond was also to cover the
renovation of outdated classrooms, science labs, school
facilities and improve buildings, and grounds for safety
reasons. Last on this to-do list was money to build a 12th high
school in the district, by issuing $274,000,000 in bonds at
legal rates with annual audits, and citizen’s oversight.
All registered voters who reside within the Grossmont
Union High School District were eligible to vote on Prop H. To
pass, the proposition had to receive support from 55 percent of
the voters — it passed with 62 percent.
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| AHSCC
Chairman Bill Weaver speaks at the meeting on Monday
night, where residents discussed the rumors coming from
Grossmont district. |
The discussion that ensued at the AHSCC meeting on
Monday night concentrated partly on information that was gleaned
from a commissioned study performed by Gene Bregman &
Associates before the bond actually passed, that stated that “71
percent of the voting public would be somewhat or much more
likely to favor passage of the Prop H Bond; if the money will be
used to provide a new school in the Alpine area, and additional
classrooms at existing schools to relieve severe overcrowding.”
Knowing that building the 12th high school was a major
point in passing this bond, attending community members
expressed discontent when Larry Urdahl acknowledged rumors
including that the Citizen Bond Oversight Committee may make
recommendations to the Board contrary to the voter-approved
content of Prop H which would be to divert new school
construction funds to other uses.
Urdahl said that the board’s consideration to shelve
the idea of building the 12th high school was due to there not
being enough money. He did, however, express that attendance
from Alpine citizens at the Feb. 3, GUHSD Strategic Planning
Meeting, scheduled to be held at Foothills Adult Education
Center, at 1550 Melody Lane in El Cajon, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
was essential to reacquaint the board with the knowledge that
building a high school was important factor in the passing of
this bond.
Urdahl announced that he has placed on the agenda for
the Feb. 8, board meeting an action item that requests that the
board president appoint a commission to study the 12th high
school. This commission shall concentrate their efforts in three
areas: Curriculum and Facilities, Site Selection, and Finance.
This commission shall be composed of members of the Alpine
Community and will work with the Business Manager and the
Superintendent of GUHSD. The purpose of this committee is to
come up with recommendations that would enable GUHSD to provide
the community with a 12th high school and report back to the
board by May 2007.
During the meeting, Urdahl also revealed new
information that refuted previously believed data that stated
that the State of California would be the ultimate decider in
the site selection of the high school. Urdahl said that this
belief was false, and ultimately, all the sites that are
currently under consideration would pass the State Standards,
and that the GUHSD board would be making the final decision as
to where the school, if they actually proceed in building it,
would be placed.
As the meeting progressed, a member of the AHSCC moved
that the AHSCC become informed on the Citizen’s Bond Oversight
Committee’s activities and attend its meetings and comment when
appropriate. Also decided at this meeting was, that the AHSCC
continue to present its views as warranted on CBOC activities to
the GUHSD board of trustees.
The AHSCC will be making a 10 minute presentation at
the Feb. 3 GUHSD Strategy Meeting along with observations as to
the role of the CBOC. The AHSCC will be attending the regular
GUHSD board meeting as well, scheduled on Feb. 8 in support of
Urdahl’s agenda items that he has added regarding a Special
Commission on the Alpine high school.
The AHSCC will be conducting their own research to
become thoroughly informed as to the roles that the State and
County offices will be playing in the site selection process.
To learn more about Proposition H, and what it was
originally for, one may visit
www.guhsd.net/bondoversight/yesonh.org/QA.html, or the
AHSCC web site that also gives current updates on the Alpine
high school issues, including information on the above meeting,
at www.ahscc.org.
 E-mail
Christy Scott
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