Los Gatos Weekly-Times

LG-Saratoga HS board assesses aging schools

By Torre Peña

Taking the first step toward addressing the needs of its aging school facilities, the Los Gatos Saratoga Joint Union High School District board of trustees hired the HMC Group to formulate a facilities master plan for the district.

Costing $36,895, the study will identify modernization needs and establish priorities for sites and buildings. HMC will also assess code deficiencies, deferred maintenance issues and heating and plumbing conditions. A lack of adequate science facilities at both high schools has been a concern of teachers and administrators.

"They're all old buildings, and there's a lot of old equipment," said Dorothy Diekmann, the district's business and operations director.

The list of facility needs at Los Gatos High School is extraordinarily long, said principal Ted Simonson.

Built in 1924, the original building, standing impressively as the school's centerpiece, has not been refurbished since the mid-1960s. The building still operates with steam boilers, and problems with the pipes have accumulated over the years.

Since the passage of Proposition 13, money has dried up to fund repairs and modernize facilities, Simonson said .

"We're an older school," he added. "It's had nothing but heavy use."

Although a newer campus, Saratoga High School has had no major improvements since it was built.

"Buildings are 30 to 40 years old, and things are starting to break down," principal Kevin Skelly said.

Saratoga's science department chair, Cary Matsuoka, has said that antiquated science facilities make meaningful lab experiments difficult.

As part of the facilities master plan, HMC will prepare cost estimates and conceptual budgets for the district's facilities. Superintendent Tod Likins said a facilities master plan should be done if the board ever wants to consider a bond issue to fund school repairs and modifications. And it's a common way for districts to formulate a plan for improving efficiency and establishing a framework for tackling modernization improvements.