Working together
for a Grossmont
high school solution
This is the first in a series of commentaries that I will
author for each month’s first weekly edition of The Alpine Sun.
The series title is borrowed from the Grossmont Union High
School District Bond Advisory Commission Final Report — The
Grossmont Solution.
This column will highlight all Proposition H bond
projects, as well as their management and oversight. There will
be comments on Governing Board meetings, on GUHSD administrative
staff actions, on the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC)
work, and on the Bond Advisory Commission (BAC) Final Report and
recommendations.
The BAC was formed to scrutinize and energize the
management of Proposition H. The BAC determined why the $274
million (with St. matching funds, accrued interest, and other
revenue sources; totals about $485 million) bond initiative
became insufficient to complete all of the Prop H projects.
The March 2004 election ballot statement for Prop H was
titled, “The Neighborhood School Repair, Safety, and
Overcrowding Measure.” This Bond Measure was intended to take
care of GUHSD facility repairs (deferred maintenance); safety
concerns; and to eliminate overcrowding issues.
The Bond Advisory Commission is a group of 10 appointed
commissioners with construction, finance, legal, administrative,
and education expertise. Refer to the District’s web site (www.guhsd.net)
for the individual GUHSD Commissions and Committees with info on
their purpose, meeting agendas, minutes, ongoing actions, etc.,
including any reports that they’ve produced.
The four Subcommittees of the BAC are; Finance, Site
Selection, Repair & Renovation, and Facilities & Curriculum.
Members of the public were invited to join a Subcommittee and
become active participants. The four Subcommittees were
ultimately staffed with over 50 members.
The 186-paged BAC report provides a roadmap for
handling all Proposition H business. Only a few of their
recommendations have been accepted by the Governing Board to
date. It is expected that the remaining will be discussed and
hopefully acted upon at the Thursday, Sept. 6 Regular Board
Meeting.
The BAC sought to treat all projects of the bond as
equally important and achievable. The solutions detailed in
their reports are specific and realistic. I urge the East County
community to contact the Grossmont Governing Board Members
individually, asking them to ratify all BAC recommendations.
Here are the fundamental steps of The Grossmont
Solution: The BAC Report Recommendations:
Restore public confidence and trust through effective [bond
project] oversight and management.
Stretch revenues and matching funds. [Encompasses “A no cost
bond extension”]
Rebalance student populations to reduce overcrowding and
minimize construction costs.
Define realistic goals and objectives to satisfy all Prop H
promises. [Encompasses “Repairs & Renovation of existing schools
and the construction of a new 12th high school”]
Integrate all of the above into a single document: The Grossmont
Solution.
GUHSD is faced with a shortfall in funds available to
complete all of the Prop H projects. Project costs had
increased, their scope had grown, and modernization needs have
been underestimated. Prices of basic commodities such as steel,
copper, cement, lumber, and energy have gone up. The
construction industry has been impacted with price spikes up to
40 percent in some instances.
The BAC was formed with the mandate to define what is
needed to complete all of the projects listed in Prop H. An
extremely difficult task is in identifying viable solutions to
the problems. The BAC Finance Subcommittee (FSC) has determined
that a paradigm shift in management and oversight is necessary.
The FSC’s most essential recommendation is for the
District to pursue a “No cost bond extension”, which could close
the funding gap. If ratified by the Governing Board, it will
likely go to voters for approval in 2008. (More on this later in
the series)
Prop H estimated project costs have grown to an amount
now approaching $600 million. The estimated cost of the new 12th
high school project is around $100 million. The elimination of
the new 12th high school is an easy solution to partly resolving
the budget shortfall. This solution should not be considered
because it would not satisfy the requirements contained in the
Prop H Bond language.
Arguing against the new 12th high school, the naysayers
cited the District’s demographics study. The argument is, “Why
build a new high school when our five year study reveals no
increase, or possibly a decrease in student enrollment?”
This argument is invalid because the demographic study
is misleading and incorrect. The Facilities & Curriculum
Subcommittee report cites SANDAG, and other studies that predict
increased enrollments before the 12th new high school even
breaks ground. Per a San Diego State University Study, the far
East County will experience significant HS student growth.
A problem acknowledged in the Prop H title is
“Overcrowded” high schools. The Repair & Renovation Subcommittee
reports that three of the District’s campuses are “extremely
overcrowded.” Students are packed into portables. This is our
opportunity to alleviate a chronic school-overcrowding problem.
Overcrowded district schools such as Granite Hills will
be less impacted as students move to the new 12th campus. The
BAC report rebalances students among all 12 high schools to
alleviate overcrowding.
Also argued against the new 12th high school was that
the District can’t afford to operate a 12th campus. This
statement is also misleading and incorrect. A new 12th high
school with 1,200 to 1,500 students will draw funds commensurate
with that student population. Operations and Staffing are not a
problem.
Also concerning the new 12th high school’s
administrative and operating overhead; implementing all of the
Prop H promises (for fully repaired, safe, and non-crowded
schools) would attract more students to the District, and
therefore more revenue. The recommended changes in managing
capital expenses would lower operating costs; all the management
reforms are applicable to day-to-day District operations.
Bill
Weaver is the Chairman of the Alpine High School Citizens
Committee (www.AHSCC.com)
and a resident of Alpine. He can be reached at 445-1234; or
e-mail him at b.weaver@usa.com. The Grossmont Solution Report is
an opinion column written for The Alpine Sun. Opinions stated
within are those of the writer, and not necessarily the staff of
the newspaper.
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