GROSSMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT ANNOUNCES QUARTERLY CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM UPDATES

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Projects Throughout East County Funded by Proposition H, Proposition U School Bonds

January 15, 2014 (San Diego's East County) -- Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) announced today that significant construction progress continues to be made at campuses throughout the District as part of the Proposition H and U school bond programs.

At Grossmont High School in El Cajon, construction continues on the new CTE auto shop. Four additional tennis courts were recently completed, bringing the total of new courts on the campus to 10. The next project will be a new student support building and art classroom building, which is currently in the design phase.

At Helix Charter High School in La Mesa, students are moving into the new 34,000-square-foot performing arts complex. The design to modernize the physical education buildings and pool deck is now at the California Division of the State Architect (DSA), with construction scheduled to start in May.

At El Cajon Valley High School, crews have broken ground on a new $6.4 million, two-story physical education facility following demolition of the 60-year-old boys and girls PE buildings. 

At Mount Miguel High School in Spring Valley, modernization work is underway on Building 700 West. The demolition and hazmat phase has been completed and crews are now placing footings, pouring concrete and roughing-in the electrical systems. With a construction value of approximately $5.6 million, the 24,000-square-foot project includes performing arts classrooms, a black box theater, choir room, band room, ASB offices and a kitchen modernization.

At El Capitan High School in Lakeside, construction continues on a new physical education facility, with a construction cost of $6.2 million. The project, which also includes the demolition of the old building and replacing it with new basketball courts, rerouting the existing fire lane, site work and HVAC upgrades to the existing gym, is scheduled for completion in August.

At Granite Hills High School in El Cajon, the design phase is now complete for the new administration and student support building, with plans now going to the DSA for review. Demolition is scheduled to begin in late-June. Deferred maintenance projects, including roofing for the field-house and stadium concessions and warranty replacement of the football field, are wrapping up this month.

At Monte Vista High School in Spring Valley, plans have been submitted to the DSA for modernization of the PE/wrestling/dance building.

At Santana High School in Santee, plans for the modernization of Buildings 400, 500 and 700 are in DSA review. Bidding and construction are scheduled for this summer, with a construction estimate of $6.5 million. Construction includes: Building 400 (culinary arts and video production classrooms), Building 500 (weight room/gymnastics classroom) and Building 700 (with two special education suites, 3D/2D art classroom with an outdoor kiln, nurse suite, psychologist exam room, speech therapist exam room and two restrooms).

At West Hills High School in Santee, a project to retrofit all HVAC mechanical units and control systems campus-wide is underway, with an estimated construction cost of $2.8 million. The project will be funded under Proposition 39 and completed in two phases. Phase one is scheduled for summer 2015, with phase two following in summer 2016.

At Chaparral High School in El Cajon, grading has been completed and steel erection and underground utilities are nearing completion for two new CTE buildings, totaling 14,000 square feet. With a construction cost of $10 million, the buildings will include classrooms for construction tech, art, science, technology, floral and cosmetology.

At Steele Canyon High School in Spring Valley, plans are in DSA review for new baseball field safety nets, designed to protect the lower track from foul balls from the varsity baseball field. Construction is estimated at $80,000 and scheduled for this summer. Additionally at Steele Canyon, a donor has committed $80,000 to install a new athletic storage facility. Plans are expected be submitted to DSA in February, with construction starting next winter.

At Valhalla High School in El Cajon, design development will be completed at the end of January for the entire main building, which includes four levels. Design will be submitted to DSA in June, with construction beginning in Spring 2015.

Design for ELITE Academy is currently in DSA, with construction scheduled to begin in March/April for an opening in September for the new school year.

Modernization work, valued at $16.2 million, continues at the GUHSD District Office, adjacent to Grossmont High School in La Mesa, with many key projects nearing completion, including: drywall partition framing; rough-in for mechanical, electrical and plumbing; exterior plastering; roofing; and window and door framing.

Proposition U is a $417 million general obligation bond measure passed by voters in November 2008. When combined with projected state funding, the consolidated program budget is $601.7 million. The program makes significant progress toward the modernization of district schools, providing classrooms and equipment for Career Technical Education, multi-purpose facilities to support the superintendent’s vision for the arts in education, and the construction of a new high school in the Alpine/Blossom Valley area. More than $228 million in Prop U consolidated funds have been expended to date.

Proposition H is a $274 million general obligation bond measure passed by voters in March 2004. When combined with state dollars and other funds, the program budget is $326.9 million. The program includes student safety improvements, upgrades and expansion of technology and other infrastructures, renovations of outdated classrooms and the construction of new science classrooms. $324.5 million of Prop H funds have been expended to date and the balance is committed for the District Office ADA upgrades and the ELITE Academy.

More information about the construction programs is available on the Prop H and Prop U website as well as the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee website.

About Grossmont Union High School District

Established in 1920, Grossmont Union High School District encompasses an area of approximately 465 square miles, including all of the cities of El Cajon, Santee and Lemon Grove, most of the city of La Mesa, a small portion of the city of San Diego, and the unincorporated areas of Alpine, Dulzura, Jamul, Lakeside and Spring Valley. Over 24,000 students are served by the district’s schools. The district consists of nine comprehensive high schools, two charter schools, one continuation high school, two alternative education sites, four special education facilities, a middle college high school program, a Regional Occupational Program (ROP) and an adult education program. The district employs 2,300 full-time employees, as well as hundreds of hourly employees, making it the largest employer in the East County. More information about Grossmont Union High School District can be found at www.guhsd.net.


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