Printer-friendly version
Projects Funded by Proposition H, Proposition U School Bonds
Sept. 14, 2011 (El Cajon) – Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) announced today that in preparation for the start of the new academic year, summer construction work is wrapping up on nine campus improvement projects throughout the East County as part of the Proposition H and Proposition U school bond programs.
“With students and staff off campus for the summer recess, we had the opportunity to make significant progress on a number of important projects at our various campuses,” said District Superintendent Ralf Swenson. “Many of these improvements will be evident in the form of 36 modernized classrooms completed this summer, including special education suites and Career Technical Education (CTE) facilities. We continue to keep our promise to taxpayers by delivering CTE facilities that are preparing our students for college and careers.”
At El Cajon Valley High School, modernization and expansion work has been completed on Building 600, which includes a state-of-the-art CTE welding shop, classrooms and staff work rooms, as well as the first of several new special education suites. Reconfiguration projects will next begin for Buildings 700 and 400.
At El Capitan High School in Lakeside, a modernization project was completed for Buildings 1100 and 1200 to bring a total of six classrooms up to new district standards; Building 900, with eight additional classrooms, is next. The buildings house classrooms for 2D and 3D art, photography and special education life skills instruction as well as ASB rooms. A new energy-efficient chiller was also installed to replace a 50-year-old system. The total construction cost of these projects is $4.2 million.
Also at El Capitan, work is progressing to upgrade facilities for the school’s large agriculture CTE program, including a new building with three classroom laboratories, a new animal husbandry barn, horticultural green house and farm equipment machine shop. The facility will be returned to the school in phases, with the first phase, including the new barn, storage building and greenhouse, to be completed in early-September. The new classrooms and existing building modernizations will be completed by February 2012. Construction work was valued at $6 million.
At Granite Hills High School in El Cajon, a new 21-classroom complex, valued at $11.3 million, is underway to replace outdated World War II era relocatable buildings. The steel building erection will begin in late-September with a completion date of August 2012. As part of the District’s CTE program, the new state-of-the-art complex will house classrooms designed to support the campus’ medical and health sciences pathway; arts, media and entertainment pathway; and culinary arts pathway. The project also includes a new quad for students and instruction.
Also at Granite Hills, new tennis and basketball courts will be completed by November. A new 50-meter pool, the first on-site pool for the school, and a pool complex are being constructed, with a scheduled completion date of March 2012. This is one of three new aquatic centers, valued at about $11 million that are currently underway in the district, including new 25-meter pools at Steele Canyon and West Hills High Schools.
At Grossmont High School in La Mesa, a new 6,200-square-foot child development center is underway. With a construction cost of $2.7 million, the project is slated for completion and occupancy by February 2012. Also at Grossmont, bidding will open in September on a new 31-classroom humanities building, with a construction budget of about $12.5 million. Occupancy is slated for the winter of 2012/2013.
At Helix Charter High School in La Mesa, modernization is completed for the 400 Building, with the 500 Building soon to follow, with occupancy scheduled by late-October. The projects, which will bring 19 classrooms up to new district standards, are valued at $5 million. Initial infrastructure upgrades were also completed this summer in order for the construction of a new performing arts center (PAC) to begin. The PAC will include a 425-seat auditorium with classrooms and a black box theater. Occupancy is expected in the winter of 2012/2013.
At Monte Vista High School in Spring Valley, current work includes the modernization of four classroom buildings, addition of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant facilities and the replacement of an aging and inefficient chiller/boiler system for the school. The new library and art building will be completed this fall, with new special education classrooms and counseling offices wrapping up in the spring.
At Mount Miguel High School in Spring Valley, Buildings 500 and 600 have been modernized, including three art classrooms and three special education classrooms. Audio/visual and technology upgrades, hardscape replacement and electrical updates were also completed. The total construction cost was $2.4 million.
At Santana High School in Santee, modernization has been completed for the 10-classroom Building 200 and the campus library. Also completed was Title 9 work that included construction of an announcer’s booth and concession stand at the girls’ softball field and associated ADA upgrades, including a new restroom building on the accessible pathway. A new energy-efficient chiller was also installed to replace a worn-out system. The total construction cost was $3.4 million.
Finally, site preparation and soils removal continues for the new high school in Alpine. Plans for grading of the site have been submitted to the DSA and are expected to be finished with review this month allowing grading to commence in the fall. Plans for the phase one building package are in design with a November 2011 submittal to the DSA and a 6-8 month review cycle.
Recent comments