Studies indicate a relationship between school facilities conditions and student achievement (Glen Earthman, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and StateUniversity) “Over the past three decades considerable research has demonstrated that there is a link between student achievement and the condition of the school building. “Poor” buildings generally are those that lack appropriate HVAC systems, have poor lighting, are old, are noisy, lack functional furniture, or have some variation or combination of these qualities."
Students in poor buildings perform less well than students in functional buildings
Most researchers found students in poor buildings scored between 5 to 10 percentile rank points lower than students in functional buildings, after controlling for socioeconomic status
The difference in scores for students in poor buildings can be as high as 17 percentile rank points
January 2010 Update: A series of site master planningmeetings are being held to define future facility improvements to Pt.LomaHigh Schoolto be provided under Prop. S and beyond. Site-Specific Bond Project List needs were identified through a comprehensive planning process, which included input from school site representatives to cluster meetings, district departments, and other assessment measures: http://old.sandi.net/bond/ssbpl/ssbpl0354a.pdfDesign plans are moving forward in regards to the weight room and Prop. S. stadium improvements. Traffic safety and parking around the school are being reviewed by traffic engineers. Our PLCS Traffic SIG provided input; as did the school's neighbors. It is vital for ALL stakeholders to actively participate in the process. We want to make sure that Pt.LomaHigh's long-term needs will be met.
September 2009 Update: Construction of a new state-of-the art classroom building will begin soon at Pt.LomaHigh School. It is the school’s first project funded by Proposition S. Seven portable classrooms will be replaced with a 15,358-square-foot two-story classroom building. The new building will consist of eight classrooms, student and staff restrooms, elevator, stairs, storage room, electrical room, bridge to athletic field, reconstruction of existing ramp to gym, new retaining wall, landscape and irrigation. Construction is expected to be completed by end of Fall 2010.
July 29, 2009 Update:The Board of Education approved the Project Stabilization Agreement (PSA) with San Diego Building & Construction Trades Council and Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters.The PSA governs Proposition S work equal to or exceeding $1M in value.It establishes a standard (developed by the labor unions) for a contractor’s relationship with his workers; setting basic standards for hiring, dispute resolution, payment of fringe benefits, and utilization of apprentices. The PSA is also designed to eliminate work disruptions on Proposition S projects by spelling out the process for how a number of disputes are resolved. In addition, the PSA includes sections that specifically promote the idea of local hiring – hiring of skilled craftspeople living within the SDUSD boundaries, and encouraging individuals living within SDUSD, including students, to become apprentices.
July 2009 Update:As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the California Department of Education has announced a grant of $628,216 to SDUSD for new food preparation equipment. The funds will go toward purchasing equipment for the district's school cafeterias and central kitchen. Applicants were required to demonstrate a need for the equipment focusing on four areas: increasing participation; contributing to nutritional quality; contributing to food safety; and contributing to energy efficiency.
June 2, 2009 Update: The Board of Education approved a 5-year plan to install Interactive 21st Century (i-21) Classroom interactive “tool sets” in all classrooms. A “tool set” consists of a white board, voice amplification and sound system, netbooks and/or student responders (depending on grade level) for interactive student participation, networked printer, document projection camera, and teacher work station. For year one, 2009-2010, the plan is to install i-21 tool sets in all district 3rd and 6th grade classrooms, and 20% of all 9th through 12th grade classrooms, starting with mathematics.
PointLomaHigh School Motion Picture and Music Production Career Technical Education Facility: In December 2008, The California State Allocation Board approved $1,397,522 for the construction and modernization of the Point Loma High School Motion Picture and Music Production Career Technical Education facility. “Even as our state is embroiled in a fiscal crisis, the people saw fit to help create more safe and modern school environments where their children can learn so they can compete in a more global, technologically challenging world after they graduate” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell.
CorreiaMiddle School and Peninsula YMCA to share gymnasium: The YMCA expansion project will begin during the summer of 2009. First on the list of projects includes building a state-of-the-art regulation size high school gymnasium, hopefully to be completed in late Spring 2010. Under a joint use agreement between San DiegoUnifiedSchool District and YMCA of San Diego County, Correia will have use of the multi-use gymnasium, restrooms and storage facilities during school hours in exchange for allowing the YMCA use of the middle school parking facilities.
Pesticide Notifications: The Healthy School Act of 2000 requires that the preferred methods of pest control at school sites are those utilizing effective least toxic pest management practices (Integrated Pest Management - IPM). The San DiegoUnifiedSchool District has been practicing IPM since 1991. Parents/ guardians and staff may request prior notification of individual pesticide applications at the school site. If you would like to be notified every time pesticides are applied, you can register for e-mail notification at: [email protected] If you have any questions, you can contact the SDUSD Integrated Pest Management Supervisor, Ray Palmer, at (858) 627-7223. You can also get more information regarding pesticides from the State of California Department of Pesticide Regulations: http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/schoolipm/
Proposition S: On November 4, 2008, voters approved Proposition S, a $2.1 billion bond that replaces Proposition MM. Funds will be available between 2009 and 2019; and will be used to repair leaky roofs, frayed electrical wiring, leaky pipes and plumbing, school bathrooms, dangerous heating and electrical systems, broken steps, cracked sidewalks, and deteriorating portable classrooms. Prop. S was developed through an extensive public process and a thorough examination of school facilities. City Schools hired one of the nation’s leading school architectural firms to review every building on every campus. The District solicited input from teachers and parents at every school, held 17 community meetings where nearly 1000 people offered comments, convened an Ad Hoc Committee of community leaders to vet the bond, and then 2 Board hearings before putting the bond before the voters. To find out more about what is planned at a specific school, please visit: http://www.edforchildren.com/pages/improvement/index.php
CellPhoneTowers: In December 2008, the Peninsula Community Planning Board discussed, and possibly approved, the placement of cell phone towers on All Souls Episcopal Church property across the street from SilverGateElementary School. While the FCC has not determined if electromagnetic waves from cell phone towers are unsafe, some independent research on the effects of electromagnetic waves from cell phone towers has recommended that it is NOT safe for children -- who are in their growth phase -- to be near these waves. The PLCS Foundation asked SDUSD if they have any policies on cell towers proximity to schools. Bill Kowba has been alerted to this issue. It may be that the District can only control property adjacent to that they own. However, it would be desirable for the School District to work with the City of San Diego to ensure the safety of students throughout the District.
Small Schools Committee: In September 2008, Dr. Grier established the Small Schools Committee in response to the Board of Education’s request to study under-utilized, under-enrolled schools. The committee is made up of eight community members who are studying use options and potential closure of several elementary schools with less than 400 students. The members are also reviewing whether the vacated schools could be reopened with new academic programs and grade structures or reconfigured as administrative offices. Cynthia Conger was appointed by John de Beck to represent the schools in the Pt. Loma cluster. For more information, please go to http://www.sandi.net/committees/ssc/.
