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High school projects are proceeding as planned
By Leigh Ann Maze
Lorine Tetzlaff, chair of the citizen's oversight committee for the high school bond measure in Saratoga, reported no major problems with the spending of the measure B bond money.
She made a biannual progress report to Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District board members Feb. 1. Although most of the major projects are still in the architectural and planning stages, Tetzlaff commented on the bond project's timeline, financial status and conformance to the bond language.
The committee is made up of Los Gatos and Saratoga citizens whose task it is to oversee the use of the bond funds at Saratoga and Los Gatos High schools. The group meets every two months, and more when needed, to review financial plans and make sure the bond money is spent for the specific purposes that the voters approved.
The committee members applied and were selected by the school board shortly after the $79 million bond measure was passed by local voters in June 1998.
Tetzlaff reported that the cost savings on the projects were made when the program manager, The Gilbane Company, reduced the project's timeline from 10 years to five years.
"You're always going to have increased costs with inflation, so it is a considerable achievement that they were able to halve the timeline," Tetzlaff said. The savings will be used for unexpected costs that the regular contingency budget may not cover.
Three roofs at Saratoga High School already had to be replaced unexpectedly during the installation of a new heating, ventilating and air conditioning system. Asbestos was discovered in the walls of old restrooms at Saratoga and Los Gatos High Schools and had to be removed, although this was no surprise considering the age of the buildings, Tetzlaff said.
In terms of conformance to the bond measure that the community voted on, Tetzlaff said the only thing that has been questionable so far was a situation with the Los Gatos High School gym. The costs will be covered by separate state funds that aren't as restricted as the bond money, "Even though it probably could have been justified," Tetzlaff said.
Restrooms have been renovated at both campuses and the new HVAC systems will be completely installed shortly. Several portable buildings on the SHS campus have been demolished in the past month in preparation for major construction to begin this spring and summer. Construction on the new library and science building is expected to begin mid-May. Plans for a new multipurpose room at SHS are still in the works, and several projects are still going through the CEQA review process.
"There hasn't been a lot of activity so far because so many projects are in the planning and architecture stages," Tetzlaff said. The school board has been responsive in giving requested information to the oversight committee, according to Tetzlaff.
The committee requested a report from the school district on the life cycle and expected costs of projects and more detail on the allocation of miscellaneous and soft cost spending. "Next year will prove to be more involved and we will be looking carefully at the numbers," Tetzlaff said. "There's many more projects to be done."
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
