A make it or break
it year for HS
ALPINE — Happy New Year!
Congratulations are in order for Larry Urdahl, Alpine resident,
and the unanimous board pick to be the Grossmont Union School
District Board President for 2008. This year will be one of
reckoning at GUHSD to dealing with its Proposition H finance
issues. This is the make or break year for Prop H, and for
Alpine’s obliged 12th district high school.
The honest truth is that GUHSD faces the voters
exasperation over funding deficits on its’ Prop H projects.
There is not enough money available to fulfill the Prop H
written obligations. The guesstimating used to develop the 2003
original Long Range Facilities Master Plan as the basis for Prop
H (LRFMP) has come to full light.
Proposition H is the GUHSD facilities improvement bond
initiative passed by a majority 62 percent of the voters in
March of 2004, now nearly four years ago.
A district administration that is no longer directly
(now retired, or otherwise departed) accountable produced the
original LRFMP that laid the baseline upon which all Prop H
funding and needs were predicated on. The LRFMP missed the mark
on many of its facility needs, item and costing estimates.
Some current key players seem to want to backpedal on
some Prop H wording. The measure stated for the voters exactly
what we were voting for our money to be spent on. It was in our
ballot statements, printed in black ink on parchment, for us to
read and to understand. This was backed up and further clarified
by a board resolution passed prior to the bond’s drafting.
We should all be heartened that there are real remedies
and solutions available as we move forward; no backpedaling is
necessary. The solutions recommended through its own Bond
Advisory Commission (BAC) are the remedy. The BAC findings were
affirmed by AF Consultants, the independent third party program
reviewers.
Currently before GUHSD are necessary actions that its
board must take over the next few months. Considering what is
best for the true long-range facility needs, the choices
available are limited. Dire is the need for more project money,
and a follow up bond measure.
An accurate LRFMP must be developed by the experts.
Gafcon-Harris, whom was recently hired as Prop H project
managers, is capable and qualified to develop an accurate LRFMP.
The GUHSD governing board will have a vote to approve
this, and place a Prop 39 enabled bond measure, or bond
extension on the November 2008 ballot. We must, en masse,
support this governing board follow up bond action, advocate for
its support, and rally votes to assure the new bond’s approval.
The experts of Gafcon-Harris will soon complete an
in-depth review that will quantify all needs. Gafcon-Harris has
an impeccable reputation for their expertise, and for their
oversight and management skills. We can trust that their
analysis will be comprehensive and thorough.
We have been told to expect, in late January or early
February, a report regarding the state of Prop H and its’
projects. Mr. Robert Collins (the new GUHSD Superintendent) is
to prepare and present this report to the governing board,
likely at its February meeting.
I attended a reception held for GUHSD’s Bob Collins, in
Alpine, on Nov. 28. In listening to Collins that evening I
concluded; we now have a leader at GUHSD who will take on any
challenge or adversity before him, and find solutions, or a
means to a successful end result.
Mr. Collins stated that he has one main goal, (paraphrased),
“to make GUHSD into a great high school district and to position
it for educational eminence.”
Understanding the dynamics of change, and some school
district history, helps explain some of the anguish over Prop H.
Past Superintendents, and several past governing boards were
responsible for letting GUHSD become direly in need of major
district wide modernizations and repairs.
Superintendent Robert Collins is dedicated to
understanding the Prop H problems, learning the district
history, of the past and promises, and to resolve the complex
issues.
Largely because of GUHSD missteps, an effort was
attempted to move Alpine Union School District into a unified
elementary and high school district in the year 2000.
At the time, it was obvious as to why Alpine went its
unification route, a measure taken towards independence rather
than hope that the GUHSD would come through. It is important
that everyone know that GUHSD had pledged Alpine its’ own local
high school.
The Alpine high school vow was made prior to the
Grossmont H.S. District building its 11th high school, Steele
Canyon. Bargain land by a developer was that lure. The luring
influential builder ultimately abandoned its Steele Canyon
development project, and the land ended up not being a bargain
at all.
This information is likely arousing feelings, opinions,
or recollection of disappointment to those who remember GUHSD’s
actions of bad faith back then. Our children are not a commodity
that we can shortchange any more.
When I voted YES on Prop H in March of 2004, I believed
we would be getting a high school in Alpine. I believed we would
see the listed projects completed; including repairs,
renovations, modernized campuses, and relieved overcrowding of
all our high schools.
A majority of us were onboard, we talked it up, and we
worked hard to get Prop H passed. People volunteered to work the
phones, send fliers, write letters, and were successful in
getting Prop H passed.
We had been sold that the $274 million bond measure
would do it all, and Prop H stated this as if so. The governing
board of then unanimously passed a resolution ( on Dec. 3, of
2003) clarifying the uses and rules for this bond.
GUHSD must fulfill its written obligations under Prop
H. The problems and the solutions have been identified to
succeed and regain our trust, and to put GUHSD on the right
course.
Bill Weaver is
the Chairman of the Alpine High School Citizens Committee and a
resident of Alpine. His opinions are not necessarily those of
the AHSCC He can be reached at 445-1234; or e-mail him at
b.weaver@usa.com.
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