By: Staff Writer Annie Tang
The FUSD board met on November 12 to discuss and approve the proposed implementation plan for the allocation of the 2014 Measure E bond money.
Measure E was approved in the summer of 2014 and allows the district to use $650 million to repair and improve Fremont school facilities. The money will be paid for through eligible FUSD residents’ property taxes – increasing the amount that needs to be paid in taxes from $191 per year to $479 per year by 2018.
The board decided that a majority of the money would go towards replacing the HVAC systems in the classrooms and towards repairing the roofs of schools. A five-series plan was proposed, which spans from the year 2015 to 2025. Most of the repairs planned include improving upon infrastructure, and the aforementioned HVAC and roofing issues.
However, the board underestimated the amount of repairs that were needed for the schools’ HVAC systems, particularly for American High School. Due to a change in plans, the board is discussing implementing an individual HVAC system per classroom instead of the original proposed one-control system. This decision will increase the amount of money needed to complete this project by around $11.5 million.
Apart from fixing the HVAC systems, another area that the board wishes to improve upon also includes repairs for the pools in the high schools around Fremont. $1.5 million is set aside for American and IrvingtonHigh School pools, and around $1 million is currently allocated towards repairing the MSJ pool.
Although the board had already made plans to improve the condition of the pool, the water polo team sent representatives to speak at the November 12 board meeting to ensure that their requests for a renovated pool were being heard. Junior Jamie Ng and Sophomores Chris Ha and Mayuri Jayaraman gave a speech on why the MSJ water polo, diving, and swim teams wish for a pool renovation. Their reasons included the restrictions that the depth of the pool brings for the members, as well as poor physical condition of the pool and its surroundings.
The overall estimated costs of the program, outlined for the usage of the Measure E bond so far, is around $576.4 million. The FUSD board states that the remaining $73.6 million is set aside in case of adjustments that need to be made in the future. The board will have their next meeting on December 10 to further discuss the plans related to Measure E.
Photo Courtesy: notebook.lausd.net
