During the Brea Olinda Unified School District Board of Trustees Facilities Study Session on Feb. 6, the Board gave unanimous direction for BOUSD to take initial steps on three major projects using voter-approved Measure H funds and a number of other capital improvement projects. Measure H funded projects include site modernization of Brea Junior High School, construction of a multi-purpose room and kitchen at Falcon Academy, and an accessibility improvement project at Brea Olinda High School.
The projects, which were all listed on Exhibit B of Resolution #24-14 and are anticipated at a total cost of $142.3 Million using Measure H funding, were presented in more detail by Superintendent Brinda Leon and Assistant Superintendent Rick Champion during Thursday night’s meeting. The study session provided the Board an opportunity to ask questions, clarify information presented, and give direction to district administration on how to proceed.
“With all of our facilities it is our goal to ensure equity and access,” said Superintendent Leon during her opening comments of the presentation. “The projects that we’re presenting tonight really do support students and our staff being educated in safe, innovative and future-ready spaces.”
Leon and Champion provided a review of the district’s funding sources, Measure H related requirements, including establishment of the Citizens’ Oversight Committee, and presented other proposed capital projects for consideration.
The Brea Junior High School modernization project received the most support and quickest direction from the Board since the project had been recognized by voters as one of the higher priorities to include in the school bond measure. The anticipated $119.3 Million project would consist of modernizing existing structures at Brea Junior High and constructing new classrooms, common and open areas, a multi-purpose room event center, and improved parking. The Board gave unanimous direction to proceed securing architectural plans for the project.
The next project on the list includes the construction of a new multi-purpose room and kitchen building at Falcon Academy. The project, which is projected to cost approximately $11.3 Million would remove an existing outdoor structure and kitchen to be replaced with a new building. The Board continued discussion on other large capital projects before all members voted unanimously to proceed with securing an architect for the Falcon Academy project.
Lastly, the Board gave direction to move forward with Brea Olinda High School’s accessibility improvement project, which is anticipated at $11.7 Million, and would reconstruct the path-of-travel hardscape for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the District State Architect (DSA). The project also includes upgrading data and related infrastructure for communications from the main BOHS campus to the sports complex areas. This would include subsurface utility engineering, land surveying and geotechnical investigation for the site.
The BOHS accessibility improvement project also had a thorough discussion with many questions asked by the Board. Some of the main points of discussion circled around how this project would impact other major capital projects for consideration, such as improvements to BOHS’s upper athletic complexes. Once other capital projects had been presented, the Board gave unanimous direction to secure architectural and related engineering plans for the accessibility improvement project.
Other major capital projects presented on Feb. 6 which also received unanimous direction from the Board to move forward using alternate funding sources (not Measure H funds) included:
Olinda Elementary School Expansion - in anticipation of Brea 265, this project would include construction of a new eight-classroom building, new early education center, new playground, shade structure, and improved sidewalk and improved ADA access.
Brea Olinda High School Lower Athletic Complex Improvements - this project would include a new stadium scoreboard, updated stadium lighting, and track resurfacing and field improvements.
Arovista Elementary School Early Education and Library/Office Structure - this project seeks to replace current portable structures which are more than 40 years old with new prefabricated buildings designed as dedicated spaces for early childhood education programs, including play area, library media/classroom space and CDS offices.
BOHS Performing Arts Center Repairs and Improvements - to update lighting and improve safety.
The entire Feb. 6 Study Session meeting is available for public viewing on YouTube.