Chico Unified officials say more than $80 million in taxpayer-approved funds is getting used to address long-known problems at aging schools.
The district is updating or rebuilding most elementary schools, two middle schools and, eventually, both high schools.
Several elementary schools are getting new transitional kindergarten classrooms to prepare for the launch of a new state-mandated TK program for 4-year-olds at the start of the new school year Aug. 19. Those schools are Little Chico Creek, Marigold and Emma Wilson elementaries, and the funding comes from the Measure K bond issue.
“It’s [the TK program] been a challenge for the whole state to implement, but we’re lucky because we have bond dollars,” said Julie Kistle, director of facilities and construction.
Money for upgrading public school sites comes from numerous sources – most importantly, via voters who approve bond measures, Kistle said. In Chico, voters approved Measure K in 2016 and Measure C in November of last year.
Measure C promised $239 million in general obligation bonds to improve classrooms. The money can help fund improvements of long-standing issues at schools – some of which were built more than 70 years ago – by repairing or replacing leaky roofs and windows, faulty plumbing, and heating and cooling systems. Bond revenue can also cover replacements of old portable classrooms with permanent, updated classrooms, the district says.
Kistle said the funds open up opportunities for renovation, and Measure K has already driven the renovation of one of the oldest campuses, McManus Elementary.
Measure C has so far produced $80 million. There will be two more bond sales that will fund the complete rebuild of several elementary school sites during the next few years.
Citrus Elementary School is being “modernized” rather than rebuilt due to its age and the historic nature of the small site. “We have to be really careful about how we upgrade that school,” Kistle said.
Rebuilding aging schools is exciting for leaders at schools in high-need impacted communities, like the neighborhood formerly known as Chapmantown, CUSD officials say.
Chapman Principal Christina Tellechea said in an email, “Our school community is overjoyed and grateful that the bond measure funds will be used to build a new campus for Chapman. This means a lot to the community.”
CUSD’s board members in January also approved a plan for extensive restroom renovations at multiple sites as part of the 2023 Facilities Master Plan. This plan allocates $14.3 million for renovated restrooms at nine schools, including five elementary and three middle schools and Pleasant Valley High School.
Kistle called it “a pretty big refresh” of school restrooms, some of which are more than 40 years old. Staff are also planning to add more accessible and gender-neutral, single-occupant restrooms as required by law.
“We all know the conditions of restrooms are poor,” she said, “and students and parents communicated that that’s what they want addressed.”
“For every dollar our community authorizes by bond measure … we have been able to leverage their dollars with state funding in a very, very big way,” Kistle said.
This story inadvertently left out the role Measure K bond revenue plays in the renovations and was corrected on the evening of June 1.
Natalie Hanson is a contributing editor to ChicoSol. Editor Leslie Layton contributed reporting to this story.