Long-awaited renovations at Live Oak High School are underway,
with some projects scheduled for completion by the beginning of the
school year, and some scheduled to begin next year.
Morgan Hill – Long-awaited renovations at Live Oak High School are underway, with some projects scheduled for completion by the beginning of the school year, and some scheduled to begin next year.
Morgan Hill Unified School District Deputy Superintendent Bonnie Tognazzini told school trustees Tuesday evening that since they selected MVE Institutional as the architect, the firm has been working with district staff to put together several projects.
“We still don’t have exact numbers on the cost, and we won’t until the architects finish their work,” she said. “Once we know what the cost factors are, then we’ll come back to you.”
Trustee Shelle Thomas wanted to know what projects the district would complete using the $7 million left in the original bond fund – a $72.5 million bond passed in 1999 to build Barrett Elementary School, Sobrato High School and renovate Live Oak – plus the $10 million the district will receive from refunding the original bond.
Trustees voted during their June 13 meeting to go forward with the refunding to renovate more of the Live Oak High campus.
Parts of the campus have already been renovated. Money from the original bond was used to build a new practice gym, a new library and counseling center, a new track and football field, plus complete remodeling of several classrooms.
But Live Oak staff, parents and the community in general have bemoaned the fact that money was not available to complete more of the proposed projects staff identified.
“There is work going on now (at Live Oak High School), it is just not very visible unless you go on to the campus,” Tognazzini said.
Work on technology upgrades and a video surveillance system is beginning this week, she added.
Projects that have been targeted with the $17 million in combined funding include the modernization of the boys’ locker room and Little Theater, plus facade improvements, parking lot resurfacing, locker relocation and several other small projects.
Tognazzini told trustees that construction on the boys’ locker room could begin mid-January 2007, with a possible completion date of mid-August 2007. The work on the Little Theater is planned beginning April 2007 with completion possibly nine or 10 months later.
Superintendent Alan Nishino cautioned trustees that construction costs are rising rapidly, which will affect the number of projects the district can afford to complete.
“I don’t want to raise expectations,” he said.
