Saratoga News

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Saratoga High School principal Kevin Skelly points out water damage to a ceiling in one of the classrooms at the school.

High school district seeks voter approval

By John Pancharian

'See all the dead termites that fall into my classroom?" says Lisa Cochrum, biology teacher at Saratoga High School. Vicki Wendell, chemistry teacher at Los Gatos High School, has complained of the same thing. Teachers, students and administrators at both schools are hoping Measure B will provide them with the money to make complaints like these a thing of the past.

Measure B is a $79 million bond issue on the June 2 ballot. It would provide funds to overhaul both high schools, neither of which has received major repairs in more than 30 years. The bond would cost residents living within the school district an average of $35 per $100,000 assessed value of their homes over the 25-year life of the bond. Because the schools can only use so much money at a time to make repairs, the bond would be issued incrementally over an 11-year period from 1999 to 2009.

There is currently no organized opposition to the measure, but because it must pass with a two-thirds super majority, Yes on Measure B campaigners do not allow themselves to become overconfident.

"One big thing we have to contend with is complacency," campaign co-chairwoman Joan Henricks says. "Many people assume this will pass. But if we don't keep doing all the work that is needed and get people to the polls, we might not have a victory." Henricks and co-chairwoman Cindy Ruby have intensified their efforts as June 2 approaches, adding five new phone lines at campaign headquarters and constantly recruiting new volunteers to walk the precincts. They report that most people they encounter going door to door favor the measure, but they worry that lip service may not translate into votes.

"It's a big ballot, and we're on page 13," Henricks says. To date campaigners have identified more than 9,300 supporters, but Henricks and Ruby worry voters may become fatigued with the initiative-laden ballot and overlook Measure B.

And as of May 19, campaigners were still more than $20,000 short of their $100,000 fundraising goal. The all-volunteer campaign uses no district funds and thus relies entirely upon support from the community. Ruby and Henricks say they hope for last-minute donations to cover the cost of 11th hour "get out the vote" mailings.

Ron Adolphson, finance committee chairman and chairman of the board of trustees of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District, is more confident. "We'll get the money," he says simply, explaining the campaign may borrow funds toward that end and repay them after the election. He expressed confidence in the willingness of the community to support the schools.

A large part of Measure B funds would go to the construction of new science facilities at both high schools. Overall enrollment has increased at both schools since their science facilities were constructed, but more significantly, so has the percentage of students taking science. Dan Burns, physics teacher at LGHS, explains that this often leaves 36 students in a lab class designed for 24.

Nor does either school have facilities equipped to support the electrical and space requirements of computers in already overcrowded classrooms.

"It takes the fun out of teaching," Cochrum says. "I love this school and these kids, but to not have enough room makes you crazy."

Chuck Krause, assistant principal at SHS in charge of facilities, says it has become difficult to recruit new teachers to teach at a crumbling school. "We're already losing teachers who say, 'I don't want to teach in that classroom,' " he adds.

Both schools face similar problems with old and inadequate heating and cooling. At SHS the math wing commonly has all the doors open on one side to cool the classes and all the doors closed on the other to keep classes warmer. Al Roofs at both schools leak, which has in turn caused rot in ceilings and walls. Plant managers at both schools say they would save hours of work each week if they no longer needed to play catch-up with the latest thing to break.

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