Approximately $750,000 will be needed to operate the new Sobrato
High School for one year when it opens its doors for 9th and 10th
graders in August. Of that, staffing costs for the new high school
are estimated to be more than $400,000. Al Solis, director of
Construction and Modernization for the Morgan Hill School District,
told trustees last week that operational costs alone were estimated
at $350,000.
Approximately $750,000 will be needed to operate the new Sobrato High School for one year when it opens its doors for 9th and 10th graders in August.
Of that, staffing costs for the new high school are estimated to be more than $400,000.
Al Solis, director of Construction and Modernization for the Morgan Hill School District, told trustees last week that operational costs alone were estimated at $350,000.
Solis outlined what he described as rough estimates of projected costs for electricity, potable water and irrigation water, gas, pool maintenance and chemicals. Solis said he had prepared two estimates.
The first estimate, he said, was prepared using “theoretical calculations on the basis of area (square foot) and assuming factors of use in proportion to the anticipated occupancy.”
The estimate shows costs for the first year of operation as: electricity, $253,978; gas, $62,688; potable water and sewer, $4,571; irrigation (well) water, $8,000; fire sprinkler water fees, $240; and pool maintenance and chemicals, $25,000, for a total of $354,477.
The second estimate, Solis said, was prepared using a per pupil basis calculated for students at Live Oak High.
The estimate shows costs for the first year of operation as: electricity, $133,896; gas, $45,696; potable water and sewer, $5,712; irrigation (well) water, $2,100; fire sprinkler water fees, $240; and pool maintenance and chemicals, $25,000, for a total of $212,644. Costs for the third year of operation in this estimate are a total of $452,350.
With an uncertain state budget, falling enrollment and rising costs, particularly in unfunded state and federal mandates, such as special education and the “No Child Left Behind” requirements, the big question is where the money is coming from.
The district has cut more than $6 million from the budget in two years and has depleted its special reserve fund to nearly half of what the state requires, or 1.7 percent of the general fund instead of 3 percent.
As the budgeting process for next year gets under way, trustees want to know where the money for Sobrato is coming from.
Bonnie Tagnazzini, deputy superintendent, told trustees information to include such detailed financial information was to be presented at the March 8 board meeting.
Trustees also will have to decide at that meeting, unless a special session is called, if any teachers are to be issued layoff notices. Last year approximately 100 layoff notices were issued but an offer of early retirement reduced the teaching ranks so no layoffs occurred. State law mandates layoff notices for certificated personnel be issued by March 15.
Trustee Del Foster, who requested, along with Trustees Mike Hickey, Shelle Thomas and Amina Khemici, that district staff prepare an operating budget, said that the fact that Sobrato will be a newer school should be taken into account.
“I think there are several factors we have to consider,” Foster said. “Sobrato will be more efficient than Live Oak, and Sobrato’s equipment will be newer, therefore more efficient, so the costs should be lower than at other (district) schools.”
Solis replied that he had prepared the cost spreadsheets to take these factors into account.
Thomas said perhaps a newer school should be used as a comparison.
“When we look at these types of costs, can we make some comparison on a district level, for example, Barrett Elementary,” she asked. “The size of the elementary schools will be similar, with an enrollment similar to Sobrato’s first year, for example.”
Sobrato will open with approximately 700 students and grow the next two years as a grade level is added.
Solis said the spreadsheets were based on the assumption that Sobrato would open with approximately 700 students the first year, then grow to approximately 1,100 the second year and approximately 1,500 the third year.
At an earlier board meeting, Assistant Superintendent Denise Tate reported that Sobrato had 749 students registered, 387 ninth graders and 362 10th graders, while Live Oak had 540 students in 9th and 10th grades combined for next school year.
Assistant Superintendent Claudette Beaty told trustees that 110 students had requested a transfer to Live Oak from Sobrato and 27 Live Oak students had requested a transfer to Sobrato. Trustees took action earlier in the meeting to approve Live Oak’s capacity for next year as 1,820 so all transfer requests to date could be granted.
Live Oak High teacher and football coach Glen Webb told trustees he believes they need to rethink plans for Sobrato High, perhaps use it as a continuation high school, replacing Central High.
“Shifting qualified students to Sobrato based on achievement and disciplinary criteria would allow Live Oak to operate as a 9-12 campus with a greatly improved climate,” he said. “Public perception of our school district could improve overnight as students are held responsible for both academic progress and behavior. Test scores would immediately improve in the high school and middle schools, as students would have a vested interest in their placement.
“Student academic support and social programs could focus on providing a bridge for students leaving the continuation school. School back to high school, school to work, school to vocational school, school to military and school to apprenticeship programs could provide all students access and exposure to the realistic range of possibilities awaiting them after high school.”
Webb said trustees should consider other possibilities, including opening Sobrato as a ninth grade satellite campus and opening it as a 9-10 campus with Live Oak as a 11-12 campus, because current plans are unrealistic.
“Before you get lost in the analysis of dollars that we do not have (looking at the projected operating budget), I would like to encourage you to use ‘sense’ instead,” he said. “Redefining the mission and scope of Sobrato is a viable, responsible and arguably a preferable alternative to committing scarce district resources. Opening a school that will offer little gain to the district’s educational goals while monopolizing building fund dollars and encroaching on the gen4eral fund is not justified.”
The nearly $80 million Sobrato high school, located on Burnett Avenue off Monterey Road just north of the Morgan Hill city limits, is scheduled to open in August for ninth and 10th grade students with two classroom buildings and the administration building completed, followed in a few months, possibly November or December, by the completion of the gym, the library, the auditorium and other classroom buildings.
The completion of the second phase may be delayed to December, depending on weather conditions, Solis said. The school will add 11th grade in 2005 and 12th grade in 2006. The first class of Sobrato High Bulldogs to graduate will be the Class of 2007.
