School trustees agree to extend fundraising deadline for center
By Rebecca Ray
Saratoga High School Foundation members haven't raised as much money as they'd hoped for a performing arts and lecture center at the school. Their original goal was to raise about $4.4 million by June 15, and, so far, they have only raised $1 million in private donations.
But at the March 20 Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District board meeting, the trustees extended the foundation's fundraising deadline to June 2002. The board also authorized a $371,000 contract amendment with Spencer and Associates, the design firm for the center, to do more detailed construction drawings. The trustees also agreed to delay construction of the center, if the foundation doesn't raise all the money by June 2002.
The foundation, which includes Saratoga High School officials and parents, was incorporated in September 2000 to raise money for a theater for the school's performing arts program, in which 40 percent of the student body participates. The new 17,000-square-foot center would be built on campus at the corner of Herriman Drive and Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road, which is now covered with grass and 20 parking spaces.
The center would stand about 55 feet tall at its highest point. It would have 600 seats--200 seats on an upper terrace and 400 seats on a lower terrace. It also would have dressing rooms, an entrance lobby, a large stage, a green room, two points of entry, interspersed handicapped access and a full orchestra pit. The entry would be on the east side of the building and would face the school parking lot.
The school's performing arts students now use churches, the school gym, auditoriums at Los Gatos High School and West Valley College and the school's "little theater --a makeshift space that once was part of the cafeteria--for performances and rehearsals.
The "little theater" has no dressing rooms and only seats 150 people. The full jazz orchestra and choir cannot fit together on the stage, and spectators can hear performances well only if they sit in the front half of the room.
Although the gym holds more than 150 spectators, it is not acoustically and spatially designed for lectures and musical performances. The performing arts groups can't use the gym on Friday nights, when it's used for sporting events and recreation classes.
When the February instrumental music program is held at West Valley College, the auditorium is always filled to overflowing. The stage at the college is too small to hold the chamber strings, wind ensemble, symphonic band and full orchestra, which must take turns performing and reset the stage between performances. The symphonic band and orchestra barely fit on the stage together.
The Civic Theater, which is used for city council meetings, commission meetings and performing arts shows, only has 300 seats.
Dave Schirtzinger, executive director of the foundation and assistant athletic director for the school, said the high school would open the center to the community for lectures, town hall meetings and cultural events.
The center, which foundation members estimate will cost about $7.5 million to build, is partially funded by the $79 million Measure B bond that was passed in 1998 for schools. About $3.1 million of the Measure B money will be used for the center, while foundation members must raise the rest. Fundraising programs will include having major donors "buy a seat" grants and sponsor awareness programs.
At the city council meeting on Jan. 3, the council endorsed the foundation's goal to build a performing arts center. Foundation members have addressed the council concerning the center's size, location and affect on traffic.
After the Department of the State Architect approves the construction drawings, which should take three to five months, foundation members will ask the school board to open construction bids on the project. School principal and foundation member Kevin Skelly said he would like to see bids go out by March 2002. Bids can go out once the foundation raises at least $3,960,000, or 90 percent of the required $4.4 million.
Skelly said it should take 12 to 14 months to build the center and that he would like to see it built by the summer of 2003.
While parent and foundation member Bill Barmeier said he was disappointed that the foundation hadn't raised more money, he also said that it was understandable, considering the economy.
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
