Pleasanton school board to consider final work on several Measure I1 projects

The Pleasanton school board is set to review and approve the final round of security updates that were included in the 2016 Measure I1 school bond at this Thursday’s board meeting.

If the board approves the final phase of the security upgrades project, all nine elementary schools in the Pleasanton Unified School District will be getting new surveillance cameras and updated security infrastructure.

According to the district staff report, the project has been funded over the years by the $270 million general obligation bond that voters passed in 2016. Over the last two years, Foothill and Amador Valley high schools were the first to receive the new security upgrades.

“As part of Measure I1, funds were allocated for a district-wide initiative to improve the safety of all 15 campuses,” the district staff report states. “In addition, Measure I1 funds were designated explicitly for upgrading the existing security infrastructure and deploying security cameras on all campuses.”

In January, the board approved the installation of these new security systems for the three middle schools. Now that the middle schools are in the process of getting access control for the systems, staff say it’s time to move to the final phase of the project.

“As outlined in the bond, the object is to provide monitoring at entryways and locations with a high public presence,” according to the staff report.

Security surveillance cameras will be installed outside of buildings and in limited public spaces inside, as well as providing access controls to “critical buildings.”

The district will be working with AMS.net, a technology solution provider that worked on the previous phases of the project, which has already sent people to review coverage areas and existing infrastructure to determine the best placement for the cameras.

According to the report, normal school operations will not be impacted or disrupted by this project because nothing is being installed in the classrooms. There isn’t a clear timeline as to when construction will begin for the project with the report stating that campus administrators “will be contacted and informed before any mobilization.”

The construction cost for the project will be $943,142, with a 10% contingency. There is just over $1 million dollars left allocated for these upgrades in the Measure I1 bond fund.

The board’s open-session meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Thursday (Oct. 13). Read the full agenda here.

In other business

* Another Measure I1 project that the board will be discussing on Thursday is the roofing replacements for four different schools.

If the board approves the contract in question, Donlon Elementary, Walnut Grove Elementary, Mohr Elementary and Hart Middle schools will be seeing construction for their roofs by next summer.

Sugimura Finney Architects are the contractors that will be seeking an agreement with the district on Thursday. According to the report, the company will provide design services from conception through construction administration.

Construction would take place in the summer of 2023 and will be properly coordinated with each site and the summer programs. Apart from the roofing, the project will also look to replace any air conditioning units at the schools.

The amount for the project will be $816,813 and will again come out of the Measure I1 bond fund.

* The board will be looking to approve the appointment of a new third grade dual immersion teacher at Valley View Elementary School by using a variable term waiver request.

The waiver allows those who aren’t fully credentialed to still be able to teach and, according to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, is issued for employers who meet the waiver criteria when a fully credentialed teacher is not available for the assignment. In other words, the waiver allows the board to bring teachers who are still working to get their credentials into the district, just not as a full hire.

Winter Curtiss, a California State University, East Bay graduate, is the teacher in question who is currently working to get her bilingual, cross cultural, language and academic development authorization credentials.

Back in May, the district began its search for dual immersion teachers to work at Valley View. In the Aug. 25 board meeting, the board appointed four new teachers who were in similar positions as Curtiss — working to get their credentials.

The waiver is mainly for that reason of giving these new hires the time to get their credentials and incentivize them to stay within the district.