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Pleasanton school trustees are set to hear an update from staff Thursday about a plan to relocate district headquarters to an office building in Hacienda Business Park, a move that could result in a new home for Village High School and a portion of the current site to be sold for future housing.
District staff are advancing in negotiations toward acquiring the Arroyo Center property at 5758 and 5794 W. Las Positas Blvd. to house core district functions, moving those operations from the district-owned property on Bernal Avenue in downtown.
That could allow Village High School – which operates on a portion of the current headquarters site – to move elsewhere on the Bernal property and free up the rest of the land for the district to sell to a residential developer.
“4645-4665 Bernal Avenue is located centrally in Pleasanton, one block away from the historic downtown and minutes away from the ACE transit. Given these factors and the need for housing, the property is very valuable,” Ahmad Sheikholeslami, assistant superintendent of business services, wrote in his staff report to the board.
“By relocating the core district functions to Arroyo Center property, the Village High School can be safely unified and the property can be sold for housing to pay for the acquisition of the new site,” he added.
Thursday’s presentation is designed to be for discussion purposes only, with no action recommended, according to Sheikholeslami. If Arroyo Center negotiations are successful on their current track, staff could bring a proposed deal forward at the May 12 board meeting.
The outdated Village High School building hasn’t been modified since the 1980s, Sheikholeslami said. The original campus buildings were built in the 1950s and are part of the Pleasanton school system. When the elementary and high school districts unified in late 1980s, the district office and supporting facilities were relocated to 4665 Bernal Ave. in the old school buildings.
The buildings have remained unmodified since then and the facilities are not suited for a small high school or modern-day office facilities to help promote collaboration, teamwork and integration of work, he said.
The issues and concerns raised about this facility that houses the Village High School is its poor condition along with issues such as campus safety and supervision, according to Sheikholeslami. It includes ADA accessibility issues throughout the campus, upgrades needed to the fire, life and safety components of the buildings, dry rot and seismic readiness of older buildings, along with a new layout and configuration that is conducive to educational goals and programs.
The proposal for discussion is that relocating the district offices can better utilize the site for Village High School by either placing portables in the current parking lot and creating a unified campus all on the same level – or building a new small high school on the site for educational options, which would require passage of a bond measure.
The scenarios for relocation, according to Sheikholeslami, include the option to sell a portion or all the property (not including Upper Bernal Field) for housing to generate funding for property acquisition.
The regular board meeting open session is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Thursday (April 28). Read the full agenda here.
In other business
The board will review the Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS) progress report.
Trustees will discuss updated budgets and implementation plan for Measure I1.
They will also consider an agreement with Meteor Education for furniture for new administration and library buildings for the modernization and rebuild project at Lydiksen Elementary School.
Resolutions are on the docket to recognize Teacher Appreciation Week, May 1-7; Day of the Teacher, May 4; and Classified School Employee Week, May 15-21.
The board will recognize PUSD Teacher of the Year Arick Little and PUSD Classified Employee of the Year Fernando Bongiorno.
As part of the regular personnel document on the consent agenda, the board will consider accepting the resignation of assistant superintendent of teaching and learning Janelle Woodward effective June 30.
Let’s hope the Upper Bernal Field stays untouched and that the extremely busy Bernal – First street intersection traffic flows better than it does now.
That’s an enormous increase in square footage between the two properties. Why not move Village High to the Hacienda location, since it’s more centrally located in town. Then if they need more space, put the overflow admin employees in portables on the remaining Bernal lot.
The idea is to sell the property. Keeping people (and students for that matter) in portables is cruel. The buildings are so old, renovations would be far too costly.
I’m having a hard time believing that the reason to move the district offices is to make a better facility for Village High. Does the Superintendent and his staff really have the best interest of the students at Village in mind or do they just want new offices?
>>The idea is to sell the property.
Not really. That is ONE idea they are ‘thinking’ about. Also thinking about selling ‘some’ of the property. the other idea is a bond issue, but that is dud based on history with voters voting them down.
The portables is a temp thing if they go in the direction of demolish/rebuild a small HS. Plus brand new portables with new portable restrooms would be a HUGE improvement in over what the kids have now.
My guess they will sell enough to raise cash to move DO and rebuild a small HS.
>I’m having a hard time believing that the reason to move the district offices is to make >a better facility for Village High
um, you been on campus lately?
Help me understand what is going to change soon enough to provide WATER for MORE new houses?
How about giving our bond money back for the school you’re not going to build. Crooks.