Review of San Leandro School Bond Measures A, B & M

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Students at official opening of the new Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in San Leandro in June 2005.

 The voters of San Leandro have passed three bond measures, starting with Measure A in 1997. It was a $53.8 million bond. The initial 12-year construction schedule was accomplished in 7 years.

Measure A served as the local match to obtain $33 Million in state grants, e.g. $33 million in free money for San Leandro schools for school construction projects including:

– New San Leandro High School Science and Technology Wing
– New John Muir Middle School Academic Wing 
– Bancroft Middle School Shop Renovation & Expansion 
– Modernization at Nine School Sites 
– District-Wide Seismic Upgrades (this was a major expense and critical to have accomplished following the Loma Prieta earthquake)
– Completely new Thomas Jefferson Elementary School (the only thing holding up walls of the original school were termites)

Measure B was approved in 2006. This was a $109 million bond that allowed the school district to receive an additional $28.5 million in state grants plus funds from other sources that brought the total program to $147 million. 

Much of the focus of Measure B was on San Leandro High School. Prior to Measure B, the high school was the weak link in the school district. Many parents would send their children to San Leandro public elementary and middle schools, but not the high school. It was gross overcrowded and filled with cars – literally – the student and faculty parking was all on campus and insufficient. 

The overriding goal of Measure B was to solve the overcrowding at the high school and make it into the flag ship school of the district that it should be. This was done by:

• Purchase from PG&E a lot next to the high school for parking and opening up space on the main campus to create the Arts Education Center with a 550-seat state-of-the-art performing art theater
• Purchase of property and construction of the Fred T. Korematsu Campus a block from the main campus
• Renovation and modernization of Career Technical Education building
• New modular classrooms for Business Academy
• Removal of a large number of portable classrooms, freeing up valuable playground space
• Expansion of library on main campus

There was also modernization work at all other schools – every deficient student restroom (which almost all qualified as deficient) was remodeled and renovated. Classrooms were painted and new lighting installed district wide. 

Measure M was a $50 million bond approved in 2010. Its focus was on athletic and sports facilities, including:

• Pacific Sports Complex and Burrell Field 
• New high school swim center, new high school track and fields
• New sports field at John Muir Middle School
• New playground equipment and sun shades at all elementary schools
• District wide fencing and security lights

You can read more about the measures at

 http://www.sanleandro.k12.ca.us/cms/lib07/CA01001252/Centricity/Domain/22/Exploration_of_a_Future_Bond_Measure_041310.pdf

 http://www.sanleandro.k12.ca.us/cms/lib07/CA01001252/Centricity/Domain/22/BRD_MTG_08_21_12_savings_and_schedule.pdf

 and

 http://www.sanleandro.k12.ca.us/cms/lib07/CA01001252/Centricity/Domain/22/BRD%20MTG%2006%2016%2013%20Bond%20Projects%20Final.pdf

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