From the Desk of the Superintendent

Superintendent Deborah A. Flores, Ph.D.

November 14, 2003

Update on Proposition 47 Funding

The purpose of this letter is to follow up on the Proposition 47 portion of the Superintendent’s Report that I gave during the November 12, 2003 board meeting.

Attached are two lists that outline funding for modernization projects from Proposition 47 for the counties of Santa Barbara and Ventura:

"Modernization Projects Funded Out of Proposition 47 by District from the December 18,2002 SAB through October 22, 2003" for Santa Barbara County.
"Modernization Projects Funded Out of Proposition 47 by District from the December 18,2002 SAB through October 22, 2003" for Ventura County.

As you can see, the total allocation for modernization projects in Santa Barbara County is $40,618,253. The combined allocation for the Santa Barbara Elementary and High School Districts is $23,145,295, which is well over half of the total allocation for the county. Also, the high school district allocation of $16,798,698 is the largest amount in the county.

In the two counties, only one district has a larger allocation than our combined districts (with 16,342 ADA) and that is the Oxnard Union High School District (15,728 ADA) with an allocation of $28,429,609. Several other districts our size (or larger) are receiving similar size allocations: Conejo Unified, $21,355,032 (22,000 ADA); Oxnard Elementary, $22,016,719 (16,880 ADA); and Ventura Unified, $18,261,755 (17,808 ADA).

Some of the districts in these two counties and others are also receiving funding for new construction under Proposition 47, which is a separate source of funds. In order to apply for new construction funding, a district must first be eligible for such funding. Neither our elementary or high school districts have established eligibility for new construction funding. Districts that are growing at a very fast rate, such as the Santa Maria-Bonita School District, and are building new schools are eligible for significant amounts of new construction funding (in Santa Maria-Bonita’s case, $90 million).

As I mentioned at the Tuesday, November 12, 2003 board meeting, the districts are eligible to get in line for almost $22 million more in modernization funds which will become available when the next state bond is approved. The state bond will be on the ballot next year. Upon State Allocation Board (SAB) approval and receipt of these funds, the districts will have been allocated $45 million dollars in Proposition 47 and the next state bond (state matching funds).

The districts are currently working with the architects to identify steps that need to be taken in order to get in line for more funding as quickly as possible.

It is clear that the Santa Barbara Elementary and High School Districts have aggressively sought state matching funds to augment the local bonds that were generously approved by the voters.

(text revised November 20, 2003)

MEMORANDUM

Dated: November 12, 2003

From: Deborah A. Flores, Superintendent
David Hetyonk, Director of Facilities and Operations
Santa Barbara Elementary and High School Districts

Re: Eligibility for Proposition 47 Funding

The Santa Barbara Elementary/High School Districts have been very successful in obtaining state matching funds for facilities upgrades which are being undertaken at school sites throughout the districts. Recent statements to the contrary by some members of the public are erroneous.

The elementary district bond issue Measure I-98 and the secondary district bond issue Measure V were passed by local voters in 1998 and 2000, respectively. Following the passage of these Measures, the districts promptly proceeded with the various actions required in order to pursue a large number of capital projects. This included obtaining specific project priorities from the site bond committees who collaborated on addressing the individual needs at each school site, evaluation of the site determined priorities by the newly formed district Bond Oversight Committee to allocate priorities on a district-wide basis, and completing a competitive process to select multiple architectural firms to successfully carry out projects to implement the established priorities. After consultation with the district Bond Oversight Committee for Measure V, the districts’ architects were then given direction to proceed with various projects based upon the total of available local bond funds, together with state matching funds as projected by eligibility.

During the course of the design and approval process covering many different projects at sites throughout the districts, the statewide bond, Proposition 47, was passed in November 2002. Under this measure, districts were eligible to receive 60% of project costs for rehabilitation of older schools (modernization projects). At the time of the passage of Proposition 47, there was already a backlog of modernization projects statewide due to there being no state funding available. For this reason, the Santa Barbara School Districts realized that there would be a limited window of opportunity to obtain eligibility for the 3.3 billion dollars of statewide modernization funds, and proceeded to accelerate the complex design and state approval process in order to take full advantage of available state matching funds. Before the state modernization funds were depleted approximately 8 months later, the Santa Barbara School Districts were approved for and have or will receive $23,000,421 for construction plus an additional $145,494 for labor compliance. This is outlined in the "Proposition 47 and Joint Use Funding Update dated 11-12-03".

Additionally, the districts have been approved for $4,267,823 for the elementary district and $17,601,636 for the high school district of remaining eligibility that the districts will be able to access upon the passage of the next state bond issue, which will be on the ballot next year.

School Facility Consultants in Sacramento have advised us that the Santa Barbara School Districts have done very well compared to others around the state, in securing these first-round state bond funds. This occurred as a result of very concerted efforts on the part of our architects, along with district staff, who moved through the lengthy design and approval process in a very expeditious fashion in order to achieve this outcome. It is common for typical projects to require up to 2 years to complete design and receive approval from the Division of the State Architect prior to being eligible to submit the project to the Office of Public School Construction for available matching funds. Our districts were racing against not only the clock, but hundreds of others districts to get in line for the Proposition 47 funding.

It was never the districts’ intention to design and submit all I-98 and Measure V construction projects prior to the depletion of Proposition 47 funds. The sheer number of projects contemplated to be carried out at all sites would not allow for such a process to responsibly be undertaken. Further, because of the requirement that projects with state matching funds be under contract for construction within 18 months of state matching fund approval, there is a strong likelihood that funds would have been lost because there would have been too many projects to carry out at once within this timeframe. In striving to balance the desire to move ahead as rapidly as possible against the practical limitations faced by having so many capital project needs, the Bond Oversight Committee and district staff decided early on that the most responsible way of proceeding was to spread the construction projects out over a five year period.

The Santa Barbara School Districts have established a responsible procedure and timeline to ensure the successful completion of all bond projects. Within this framework, the districts accelerated the pace of design and approval for as many of the bond projects as possible to establish eligibility and obtain over $23,000,000 in first-round state matching modernization funds. We will also receive a similar amount of modernization funding under already-established eligibility, following passage of the next state bond. The districts’ Bond Oversight Committee has closely monitored this process and fully supports the districts’ program.

I am proud of the outstanding job our staff and architects have done to leverage our local bond revenues to the maximum extent possible and augment our many capital projects with additional state funds.

Wednesday, November 12, 2003

Every day, there are countless exciting and wonderful things taking place in the Santa Barbara Elementary and High School Districts despite the financial hard times facing public schools. One important area that supports academic achievement is the quality of school facilities. Today, I would like to update the community on where the district is in certain key areas: the facilities master plan, bond funding and projects, and the newly created District Real Property Advisory Committee.

FACILITIES MASTER PLAN
In June 2001, the Santa Barbara School Districts’ Board of Education approved a contract with Sage Institute for the development of a facilities master plan for both the elementary and high school districts. During the 2002-03 school year, the consultants sought input from the districts’ Facilities Master Plan Committee, board members, district office staff, school site staff, parents, and members of the public. In July 2003, the facilities master plan was presented to the board and public. This master plan (available online at www.sbsdk12.org) is a comprehensive planning document that includes the following key areas: facilities master plan mission statement; long-range enrollment projections; detailed analysis of the facilities at each site, including capacities; comparison of site capacities with state loading standards; funding alternatives; and recommendations for board consideration. This information will be used over the next few years to help the district address a number of facilities-related issues.

The recommendations sections of the facilities master plan caused quite a stir in our school community as school site closures and consolidations were included. The most controversial recommendations included: moving Adams Elementary to La Cumbre Junior High, creating a single K-8 school; moving the GATE magnet program from Washington Elementary to another location; and housing Open Alternative School or Santa Barbara Charter School on the Monroe or Washington Elementary campuses. After studying these specific recommendations further and engaging in a dialogue with members of the effected school communities, at a recent board meeting I recommended to the board that these specific recommendations not be implemented. There were a number of other recommendations that I indicated the district should study further and/or implement. Although the district does not support all of the recommendations in the facilities master plan, they have been a catalyst for dialogue which has helped us, as a school community, clarify what we value. For instance, it confirmed the desire to maintain 11 small, K-6 elementary schools with preferably 600 or less students. The completion of a facilities master plan was the first step in a long process of determining how to meet several unmet facilities needs. Additional meetings will be held later this year regarding these needs.

BOND-FUNDED PROJECTS
Thanks to the generosity of the voters in our community two school bonds – totaling more than $90 million – have passed in recent years for the purpose of modernizing existing facilities, new construction, replacement of old portables, and addressing many other facilities needs. Additionally, to make these bond dollars stretch further, the district has very aggressively, and successfully, sought state matching bond funds. In fact, district bond-funded projects have already been approved for over 23 million additional dollars in state bond funds and we are "in line" for millions more when the next state bond passes. Interested readers who would like to know which bond-funded projects have already been completed or are scheduled for the weeks and months ahead are encouraged to read our "Road To Renovation" newsletters, available online or call 963-4338, extension 206.

The following is a short list of the major bond-funded projects completed or underway:

Santa Barbara Elementary School District’s I-98 Bond ($25 million):
Half of the district administration office was converted to an elementary school campus called the Santa Barbara Community Academy.
Monroe and Peabody schools underwent major modernization work and infrastructure upgrades.
Roofs were replaced at Adams and McKinley schools.
Portables were replaced at a number of schools (Cleveland, Franklin, McKinley, Monroe, and Washington).
Construction has begun on the Exploration Center at Peabody Charter School.
Three quads have been removed at Franklin and a permanent building with 12 classrooms will be constructed, beginning later this year
A science lab was created at Harding School.

Santa Barbara High School District’s Measure V Bond ($67 million):

At Santa Barbara High School a new pool was built and roadways were replaced. Major Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) upgrades and modernization work have also begun.
The soccer field and track at La Cumbre Junior High were replaced. Modernization work will begin on the building during this school year.
The theatre at Santa Barbara Junior High was renovated.
The student parking lot was replaced at Dos Pueblos High School and lights were added.
Goleta Valley Junior High and La Colina Junior High are undergoing major renovations and infrastructure upgrades this school year.
The San Marcos auditorium is undergoing renovations currently and a new track was installed.
Roofs were repaired/replaced at Dos Pueblos High, San Marcos High, Goleta Valley Junior High, and La Colina Junior High.
New phone systems were installed at all secondary schools.

In addition, the bond funds have provided the opportunity to address issues relating to access and safety at all schools (e.g., the installation of new fire alarms, ramps and elevators). A number of exciting projects are planned for the next two years, including the completion of the football stadium and construction of an auditorium at Dos Pueblos High School and new libraries at Adams, Franklin, and Washington, just to name a few.

DISTRICT REAL PROPERTY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Recently, the board approved the formation of a District Real Property Advisory Committee. The committee will begin meeting in the next month and will be studying the possible uses of vacant/excess district properties. The two largest properties are the Hidden Valley property (located in our elementary district) and the Tatum property (situated in our high school district). Specifically, the committee will be exploring possible uses of the properties (e.g., sell, lease, or exchange) and making recommendations to the board by the end of the year.

In closing, for the first time, the Santa Barbara Elementary and High School Districts have a long-range, comprehensive facilities master plan; extensive bond-funded improvements to school buildings and facilities have been completed or are underway; and we are in the process of investigating possible uses of the districts’ excess properties. Clearly, this district is making great strides in the facilities arena and we invite you to learn more about what is taking place in the district school near you.