Come this fall, a new eight-lane, all-weather track will be installed and a synthetic surface will replace the existing multipurpose grass field. By October the school should be enjoying a synthetic surface that includes a new drainage system that will eliminate muddy conditions and excessive puddles, which have plagued the field for years. The new surface will be suitable for year-round use.

The renovation will also include a 100-yard fence, which is being built along the Cherry Avenue side of the track and field. This portion of the work is currently scheduled for completion some time after October, according to San Jose Unified School District director of school construction Ty Williams. A new visitor-side bleacher seating area will also be added. The entire project should be done by early January 2005.

High school track and field improvements are currently taking place at each high school throughout the district. Willow Glen High School's portion of Measure F renovations is $2 million.

"All schools are receiving the same amenities," Williams said. "The total cost of improvements for all the sites is $13 million."

Measure F is funded through a San Jose parcel tax approved by voters in 2002 to repair aging campuses. The $420 million bond is estimated to cost property owners a maximum of $60 per $100,000 of the property's assessed value for approximately 30 years.

For more information about Willow Glen High School Measure F improvements, contact the high school at 408.535.6330.