2006 Bond
Questions
& Answers
1. What are the high schools in the Tamalpais High School District
and when were they originally built?
- TAMALPAIS High School (191,000 sq. ft.) – 1908 with buildings
added in 1921 and 1950s.
- DRAKE High School (150,000 sq. ft.) – 1951
- REDWOOD High
School (212,000 sq. ft.) – 1958
- SAN ANDREAS High School
(with new modulars 13,279 sq. ft.) – 1993
- TAMISCAL High
School (with new modulars 5,878 sq. ft.) – 1993
2. How many students, from what communities,
are served by the Tamalpais High School District?
Approximately 3,900 students from all of southern and western
Marin (Sausalito, Tiburon/Belvedere, Mill Valley, Bolinas-Stinson
Beach, Marin City, Corte Madera, Larkspur, Kentfield, Ross, San
Anselmo, Fairfax, San Geronimo, Lagunitas, Woodacre, Nicasio)
3. What is the history of renovation of the TUHSD high
schools?
The District’s first bond for facilities was a bond levy
passed by voters inJune of 1961 for $3 million. It was a
25-year levy that paid for various projects including remodel of
Wood Hall at Tamalpais High School.
In March of 2001, a general obligation bond for $121 million
was passed by voters to renovate/modernize all schools in the
district. The District received an additional $13.5 million
in state modernization funds in 2002.
4. What was promised to the voters in the 2001 bond?
To enhance the quality of education through facility modernization and technology upgrades; ensure safety for students, staff, and community users; remove asbestos; renovate and build classrooms and student facilities; replace inadequate electrical, roofing, heating/ventilation and plumbing; improve disabled access and earthquake safety; and rehabilitate athletic facilities.
 5. What has been accomplished with the 2001 bond revenues?
Virtually every building, inside and out, in the entire
District has been touched by modernization in some way. On all
campuses and in the District Office, modernization
- Remodeled 224 classrooms amounting to a total of 600,000
square feet
- Upgraded water, gas, sewer and electrical utility systems
- Upgraded
technology to accommodate current computer usage, including
the addition of computer labs
- Installed major fiber optics cabling
throughout the district to allow high-speed communications
and for further technological advancements
- Replaced
heaters and light fixtures with new, more energy efficient
and functioning products
- Replaced doors, windows and student lockers
where needed
- Removed asbestos
where necessary and other hazardous materials from walls, floors, ceilings,
and light fixtures
- Installed new floors, ceilings,
and casework as needed
- Painted buildings
inside and out
- Reconfigured administrative spaces to improve
efficiency of operation
- Added
four new science classrooms*
- Completely replaced the Tamiscal campus
with new modular buildings
- Replaced
three deteriorated modular buildings on the San Andreas campus
- Added
four modular classrooms for physical and special education at Redwood
- Constructed
a new Student Center at Drake including a state-of-the-art cafeteria and
covered eating area for student and community use; modernized
existing eating facilities at Redwood and Tam
- Constructed a new multi-purpose
performing arts center at Tamalpais
(expected completion August, 2006)
- Constructed a new lobby for the Redwood Theater
On the three
comprehensive campuses, modernization upgraded football,
softball and baseball fields and tracks, replaced or repaired
most gymnasium floors and bleachers, and upgraded locker
rooms.
*Two additional science classrooms are scheduled for the Keyser project
at Tamalpais High
6. Why wasn’t renovation completed with the 2001 bond revenues?
Unforeseen site conditions on all campuses, increased material
costs world-wide, and a tight construction market have further
pinched the modernization budget. Nonetheless, with the
exception of Keyser Hall at Tamalpais High School, approximately
90% of the projects listed for completion in the 2001 Master
Plan will be completed by the end of the 2005-06 school year.
7. What work remains to complete the renovation of all
the high schools in the Tam District?
- Replace 18 classrooms in Keyser Hall that were condemned
at Tamalpais
High School
- Replace irrigation and landscaping at all schools
- Install new
phone/ communications system districtwide
- Complete classroom upgrades,
including door replacements, window casing at Redwood and Drake
High Schools
- Increase site lighting in stairways
and areas between buildings at all schools
- Replace main gym flooring
and bleachers at Drake High School
- Replace electric panel in Redwood
High School gym
- Repair Redwood High School fire road
- Replace and relocate (if necessary due to underground problems)
all pools at the three comprehensive high schools with larger
pools that meet CIF (athletic) standards; install solar panels
for heating pools
- Additional utility upgrades
not done with 2001 bond
- Replace, in phases, Drake High School
heating system
- Replace and/or relocate creekside portables (6)
at Drake High School due to age and safety concerns
- Expand Redwood
High School gym by creating an additional court as exists at
Drake and Tamalpais High Schools
- Renovate and resurface basketball
and tennis courts at all schools and add two more tennis courts
at Redwood High School
- Renovate Tamalpais High School parking
lot with new entrance and better, safer traffic flow
- Repair roofs throughout district as needed
- Repave west parking
lot at Redwood High School, which includes redo of utilities
under parking lot
- ADA upgrades due to increased requirements mandated
by federal & state
governments
- Correct flooding and erosion of baseball/softball fields at
Drake High School due to heavy rains and street flooding
- Add modular
building at San Andreas High School due to expansion of curriculum
programs
- Replace outdated weight room at Tamalpais High School
- Add Butler
storage buildings for Tamiscal/ Corp Yard, Drake and Tamalpais
High Schools due to loss of storage space
- Red Hill Field upgrades for
equity and educational program at Drake High School
- Install lift/elevator
required by DSA at Tamalpais High School
- Add announcer booths
for football fields at three large high Schools (Tam, Drake,
Redwood)
8. Was all of this work identified in the original Master Plan?
Most of the work listed for future completion was included in
the 2001 Master Plan as “Priority Two” projects – i.e.,
recognized as needed but not likely to be funded by the 2001
bond. All projects are consistent with facility upgrades promised
by the language of the 2001 Bond.
The following projects were not mentioned specifically in the
original Master Plan but have since been identified as needs for
the District:
- New phone system and technology upgrades for wireless
networking
- Classroom upgrades for distance learning
- Redwood fire road repair
- Roof repairs
- Solar panels for pools
- Drake baseball field reconstruction
- Additional modular building
at San Andreas
- New weight room at Tam (2001 Master Plan called
for minor repairs)
- New community education classroom extension
at Carlisle Building
- Butler (storage) buildings at Drake, Tam
and the Corporation Yard
- Gym expansion at Redwood
- Keyser Building replacement at Tamalpais
- Red Hill Field joint
powers project at Drake
- Announcers’ booths for three football
fields
9.
How can I get more information about each of the projects identified
in the proposed new bond?
Web page: www.tamdistrict.org and/or
contact
the Senior Director of Facilities & Modernization at 415/945-3711
10. What is the amount of the proposed supplemental
bond and when is the election?
$79.92 million in general obligation bonds to complete all identified
renovation and modernization projects will be placed before voters
on the June 6, 2006 ballot.
11. Has the district explored other financing options?
Yes.
- Sale of district property – lengthy, costly
process that could cost more than the sale would bring
to the District
- Mello-Roos funding – no significant
housing developments in the District
- Certificate of Participation – The Certificate of Participation
is usually used by districts that have a projection of long-term
growth such as a district with increasing student enrollment
over many years. TUHSD does not have this stability in funding
- State grants and donations – constantly seeking, but
nothing significant is available
- Developers fees – limited new construction and insufficient
enrollment growth don’t qualify the district for these
limited funds
12. Are there State funds available for these final modernization
projects?
Currently the district is not eligible for State bond funds.
The district aggressively pursued its state funding eligibility
for its current modernization project and was able to secure $13.5
million in 2002.
13. What will this cost the taxpayer and for how long?
As promised in the 2001 bond, the cost of the proposed completion bond plus the new bond will not exceed $32.80 per $100,000 of assessed valuation. The current projected average yearly cost of the 2001 bond is $20.53 per $100,000 and the new bond would bring the combined rate to a projected $29.44 per $100,000 of assessed valuation. The tax will be in effect for 25 years.
14. Why were athletic fields renovated before all classroom buildings
were
completed?
The implementation plan for the modernization program, approved
by the Board in July 2002, called for concurrent projects at
all campuses. Work was divided into phases, or increments,
each with an independent schedule for design and construction. The
phasing plan took several factors into consideration, including
time required to design, time needed to build, inflation, and
relocation of students.
The athletic fields had to be constructed from Spring through
Fall to accommodate both weather and student use. With
the modernization program originally scheduled to complete
in late 2005, the fields were scheduled for 2004 so that they
would be completed as late as possible, but still before the
final days of the program, when building construction would
require the modernization team’s full attention.
Because building renovations began in 2002 and will not finish
until mid-2006, holding the fields until the buildings were completed
would have stretched the modernization program into 2007, at
significantly higher cost.
15. What was the reasoning behind artificial turf on
some of the fields? Isn’t artificial turf more expensive and
less safe?
The District decided to install slightly more expensive synthetic
grass and all-weather track on the football/track fields at Tam,
Drake and Redwood because:
- The fields are needed year-round for physical education, athletics, and
community programs, making it nearly impossible to maintain real grass
under this heavy usage. Approximately 2 to 3 months each spring the
fields were not useable due to the need to reseed the grass on an annual
basis. The fields do not require as much maintenance costs as real grass.
- Modern synthetic fields have been statistically proven
to yield fewer injuries to athletes than grass.
- The constant influx of salt water into the fields at Redwood
and Tam has for many years required extensive and expensive
maintenance on the fields.
- Synthetic fields produce long-term savings in maintenance
costs.
Almost two (2) years of use of synthetic turf on our modernized
fields have proven all of the above to be true. 16. Why has Keyser, a building with 18 classrooms on the Tam High
School
campus, been delayed to the end of the project?
- Keyser Hall was not delayed, but in fact was originally
scheduled for construction in Increment 4. Had the Keyser project
been scheduled first, design requirements would have delayed
construction of the remainder of the campus probably into 2007,
with significant additional costs.
- Portable phasing required that Keyser Hall construction
be scheduled separately from the other campus buildings, since
the site has insufficient space for more portables.
- Wood and Hoetger Halls
had to be completed first because they house the
electrical, telephone, data and fire alarm backbone for the
entire campus.
- Switching of architectural firms on Keyser caused some
delay.
17. Why must Keyser be torn down rather than modernized?
construction cost for the building increased from $3.5 million
(modernize the building) to nearly $15 million (to build a new
building) plus support costs. The modernization team has
re-assessed construction costs this year and determined that
the building could be replaced for almost the same cost.
Moreover, the District’s consultants have concluded that
the mold that re-occurs regularly under the building cannot be
permanently abated without major drainage improvements, which
cannot be effectively completed with out demolishing the building. The
cost of continually abating the mold would be several hundred
thousand dollars annually.
Rebuilding
a new Keyser Hall will take care of the educational and classroom
needs at Tamalpais. It will create more useable classrooms – the
old Keyser had numerous small rooms that would not meet the State
law for minimum classroom size (960 sq.ft.). In addition, the new
building allows for the creation of additional science classrooms. 18. Why is it necessary for the district to put an elevator or
some type of lift at the front of Tam High School? Can the community
be assured that the design will complement the original historic
buildings?
All schools in California are required to meet current standards
for equal accessibility for the disabled on their campuses. While
the Tam campus has met most standards with the addition of five
new elevators throughout the campus, equal accessibility from
public transit to the main administration building remains an
issue.
The Division of the State Architect, who approves all school
construction projects, has mandated that the District construct
a path of travel from the bus stop on Miller Avenue to the front
entrance of Wood Hall to ensure equal accessibility. The
concept of switch-back pathways was rejected as requiring unequal
energy for someone on crutches or in a manual wheelchair.
The requirement to construct the elevator has been made a condition
of the state’s final approval of the new theater, as well
as construction of any future projects on the Tam campus, including
Keyser Hall.
The architect who is currently working with the District on
the design of the elevator has been instructed to honor the historic
nature of the campus. The Tam Site Committee, District
Oversight Committee and Board of Trustees will all work together
to make sure that this requirement is met.
19. How does a bond levy differ from the parcel tax I am now paying?
A parcel tax is used to support the day-to-day operational costs
of the district, including class-size reduction, instructional
materials, advanced placement programs, etc.
In 2004 District voters approved a seven-year extension to the
preexisting parcel tax. District property owners currently pay
$200 per year. There is an annual increment of 3% and the
parcel tax expires in 2012.
A bond levy is used to support modernization, major infrastructure
repairs, seismic and ADA (disability access) upgrades, and other
capital improvements. Proceeds from a bond levy may not be
used for operational purposes.
20. Will senior citizens be exempt from paying this tax?
As dictated by State Law, there is no option to exempt senior
citizens with a general obligation bond. This is dictated
by the state constitution. However, many senior citizens who
own property in the community are long-time residents whose property
assessments are relatively low.
Although there is no exemption for senior citizens, there is
a State property tax assistance program that provides reimbursement
for part of the property taxes on the homes of persons with a
total household income of $13,200 or less, who are either 62
or older, blind or disabled.
In addition, there is a State property tax postponement program
for qualified persons who are 62 or older, blind or disabled,
with a household income of $24,000 or less.
For more information about these programs, please visit the
county’s treasurer/tax collector’s website, www.co.marin.ca.us.
21. Who will pay the cost of putting this measure on the June
6, 2006 ballot?
The funds will come from a special reserve fund that has been
set aside by the Board of Trustees for this purpose. This election
will have no impact on the general fund or operational programs
for students. By placing the measure on the June general election
ballot with other measures, the district’s share of costs will
be substantially reduced.
22. Does the California Lottery provide
money for facility improvements?
Lottery money is restricted to funding day-to-day operations
and contributes approximately one percent of the district’s
$44 million annual budget. These funds are used to support
instructional programs and materials.
23. Would it be cheaper to close and
consolidate some of the schools?
This option was explored in 1980 and was not found to be acceptable
to the community due to tremendous traffic, parking and dislocation
problems. In addition, current enrollment projections do not
support this option.
24. How can I be assured there will be enough money to complete
these final
projects?
State law requires that all bond proceeds must be spent on capital
facilities. By statute, the Board of Trustees must ensure the
integrity of the Facilities Master Plan is maintained by establishing
a Citizens’ Oversight Committee for the District.
The Committee will meet on a regular basis and will implement
an annual performance audit to ensure that funds have been expended
only on the specific projects authorized by the bond measure.
In addition, an annual financial audit of the proceeds from the
sale of bonds will be conducted until all bond proceeds have
been expended.
The total construction costs were based on detailed information
gathered by architects, engineers and professional construction
cost estimators. Each project includes its share of architectural,
engineering, inspection, planning and construction
management costs, and contingencies for unforeseen design and
construction costs. The final cost of each project will be determined
as plans are finalized and construction bids awarded.
25. When the work is completed, will members of the local communities
be able to use the facilities for purposes other than community
and adult education?
Yes, currently community members of all ages enjoy the use of
the schools’ meeting rooms, gyms, pools, fields, tennis
courts and other recreational facilities. These facilities will
continue to be made available to the public seven days a week.
26. How will this bond impact people who don’t have
children in school?
High schools are the center of our communities. The Tamalpais
Union High School District is one of the highest performing districts
in the state and our schools and programs have been recognized
nationally. As residents, we all benefit from the civic
pride and higher property values generated through the excellent
reputation of our schools.
Members of our communities participate in adult education courses
provided by the high schools and enjoy use of the district’s
athletic fields and facilities seven days a week.
27.
What happens if the bond measure does not pass?
The replacement of Keyser Hall and the completion of the other
identified modernization projects are absolutely necessary. Schools
will deteriorate further and construction costs will only increase
the longer projects are delayed. The cost of construction materials
for 2001 bond projects increased 33% between 2001 and 2005. If
this bond measure doesn’t pass, the district will need
to bring the issue back to the voters.
28. Can I review the Resolution passed
by the Board of Trustees?
Yes. Final vote on the Resolution to place the supplemental
bond on the June 6, 2006 ballot is scheduled for the February
28, 2006 regularly scheduled board meeting – after which,
the Resolution and the Tax Rate Statements can be found on the
district website at www.tamdistrict.org.
[SEE Resolution; Tax Rate
Statements to be posted soon.]
29. Can I tour the new modernization
projects in our high school?
Yes. Each school has regularly scheduled times to visit
the campus and periodically each of our schools has tours for
the public. Please call the school you wish to visit and
they will be able to give you the date for their tours.
30. Does the District have standards for facility work?
Yes, one of the first things accomplished by the 2001 Bond
was to develop District Standards to ensure quality control,
parity among schools, and cost effectiveness in construction
materials. A standards committee consisting of not only district
personnel but also construction experts and architectural professionals
developed the list of items for which standards needed to be
developed. Also, standards of other districts were examined
to ensure the breath and depth of the standards being developed
were adequate without being onerous. This process result in
formal Board adoption of District Standards on July 16, 2002.
After the hiring of a Director of Technology and upon his
recommendation for a section on technology, the District Standards
were revised and republished in December of 2004. The District
Standards are to be reviewed every two to four years with its
technology section scheduled for review each year. The District
Standards manual is divided into sixteen sections dealing with
such items as doors and windows, mechanical issues, plumbing,
flooring, paint, wall surfaces, and the list goes on. A copy
of the District Standards can be obtained by contacting the Senior
Director of Facilities & Modernization at TUHSD - 945-3711.
31. If the project list comes in under
budget, what happens to the extra bond funds?
If the project list comes in under budget, any remaining
bond proceeds will be used to pay down the debt early, thereby
reducing the burden to taxpayers.
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