Lake Almanor community members meet to prioritize Measure B funds
With most Plumas Unified School District schools approaching 60 years old, many upgrades are needed to meet safety and academic standards for the 21st century.
Measure B, a $50 million bond, was submitted to voters to address the needs of essential technologies and future infrastructure in order to provide students with equal access to computers and modern instructional technology necessary for college and career readiness.
Money would be used to modernize outdated classrooms, science labs, career-training centers, restrooms and other school facilities.
Funds are also needed to go toward safety and security requirements, upgrading physical education fields and making energy-efficient improvements to reduce utility costs.
The $50 million bond initiative passed Nov. 8., but where the money will be spent was one of the topics of discussion at a two-hour meeting held in the Chester High School library Dec. 14.
District staff provided information regarding the projects identified and asked the community for input regarding prioritization.
Chester High and Chester Elementary are estimated to receive over $10 million from Measure B funds for a number of proposed projects.
Terry Oestreich, PUSD superintendent, led the meeting that saw parents and other community members participate in a roundtable discussion that was divided into two groups, with one group focusing on Chester High and the other group on Chester Elementary.
After individuals in each group shared their preferences on how monies would be spent in each of the respective schools, the groups switched and did the same thing for the other school, breaking down categories into interior and exterior projects such as electrical upgrades, plumbing, replacing windows with double-pane glass, painting, repairing the roof(s), improving energy efficiency, resurfacing the parking lots and fixing a drainage issue at the high school, and many other modifications the two groups identified as priorities.
At the end of deliberations, the groups submitted their notes to Oestreich, who also had photos taken around the school grounds to highlight the areas needing improvement that will be viewable online in the next few weeks.
The district expects to utilize local contractors for the work. Information will be forthcoming in the near future through Lisa Cavin, PUSD associate superintendent of business services.
Sample bid packets are available in the district office located at 1446 East Main St., Quincy, or online at: pcoe.k12.ca.us.
A similar meeting requesting community input will take place Jan. 5, at 5:30 p.m., also inside the Chester High library, with snacks and drinks provided.
