The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

A closer look at the cost of needs

By Steve Enders

Fremont Union High School District won't develop specific blueprints for repairs at its high schools until the bond passes, but district officials have a comprehensive grasp of the cost and scope of the work, according to the district's Gene Longinetti. Starting in November 1996, a team of engineers, architects, students and educators began cataloging and pricing the problems at each of the campuses.

Called the facilities assessment committee, the group--with the help of San Jose's BFGC architectural firm--prioritized health and safety concerns and listed remaining problems in descending order of importance.

If the $144 million bond is passed by voters next week, the board will assemble another group, called the District Oversight Committee. The committee will meet four times a year to make sure the money is being spent properly and efficiently. The group has not been established yet because the bond hasn't been passed, Longinetti said.

All of the five high schools need to have their buildings seismically retrofitted, their electrical systems modernized and their heating and air conditioning systems replaced.

Other items on the schools' lists include adding classrooms, replacing inadequate lighting and fire alarm systems and repairing dry rot and termite damage.

The wish lists for all the schools are nearly identical, generally consisting of about 20 items that need either replacing or major repair. The costs are also similar. The committee found the district's oldest school, Fremont, was in line for $27,644,000 worth of repairs. Cupertino High School has $23,770,000 in needs, Homestead $22,295,000, Lynbrook $21,826,000, and the youngest school, Monta Vista, needs $23,446,000.

The total cost of the repairs will come to slightly less than $144 million. The cost of repairs needed immediately will total $118,981,000, with the remaining $25 million dedicated to handle upkeep and repair needed up to 25 years after the bond is passed.

Longinetti said that the estimates include direct construction costs, architectural and engineering fees, testing and inspection services, project administration costs and inflation.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, April 8, 1998.
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