LUSD to build classrooms at Needham
When plans to renovate Needham Elementary School were approved two years ago, the Lodi Unified School District initially planned to remove some of the site’s 13 portable classrooms and replace them with seven permanent spaces.
Now, all 13 portable classrooms will be removed and replaced with a total of 11 permanent classes.
During a special meeting on Monday night, the district’s board of education unanimously approved an additional $6 million in funding to remove the portables.
“Measure U was designed to remove portables, and it’s fantastic to see we’re doing this,” board member Ron Freitas said. “Needham is one of our most needy campuses, both in age and facilities, and being able to do this here makes absolutely complete sense. It’s also one of our Title I facilities and I love seeing we can provide an exceptional learning environment to all of our students, especially those at Needham.”
The original cost estimate to renovate Needham was more than $10.6 million, according to a 2018 staff report, and included a new multi-purpose room and nutritional services area.
Cost estimates for removing portables and building seven permanent classrooms was nearly $3.55 million, according to Monday’s staff report.
The cost to remove all 13 portables and build 11 permanent classes is estimated at nearly $5.4 million.
Leonard Khan, the district’s finance director, said staff is still waiting on the Department of State Architecture’s approval of plans for the proposed multi-purpose room and nutritional services center.
Approval is expected in late December or early January, he said.
That building, Khan said, along with fire alarm connections and plumbing work, will cost no more than the additional $6 million approved.
Through Needham teacher Martina Ruiz, school site council president Marta Amador said permanent classrooms and a new multi-purpose room are facilities parents have been requesting for nearly 20 years.
“Over time, we’ve had problems with air conditioning in the old portables. One of them even had a mold issue,” she said. “We are in need of this multi-purpose
cafeteria in order to have students eat inside and not have to eat outside. When we have activities like dance academy or science night, we have to have activities outside because we have no room in our current cafeteria.”
Misty Jaymot, a first grade teacher at Needham, said she was assigned to one of the portables when she first came to the campus nearly 20 years ago.
She said at the time, Heritage Elementary shared the campus, which was also home to the district’s regional occupational program and other adult-oriented programs.
Since that time, the Needham faculty and staff have struggled to find adequate space on campus.
“Portables were brought onto campus for students until another solution could be found. Yet, here we are almost 20 years later,” she said. “While we are on distance learning, we are being flexible and making it work, however, with the district and board’s desire to return to campus for on-site learning, our situation will continue to become strenuous in being able to make our current space work.”
Funding for the Needham project is made possible by Measure U, the district’s bond measure that passed in 2016.
Khan said the additional $6 million in funding will not hurt other major renovation projects, as some $700,000 will not be used at Beckman Elementary, and $3 million won’t be used for the Bear Creek High renovation, Another $1 million will not be used at Houston School, either.
“I’ve spent a lot of time at out at Needham, and I’ve seen some of the changes going on,” board member George Neely said. “That faculty out there is excited about this and they’re going to make the best of it. They’re going to do great with what they have out there now, and they’re going to do great with this. I want to thank the community for giving us the tools to make this happen. This is a big deal for Lodi Unified and I’m so very appreciative the community saw this as a priority.”
Board member Ron Heberle said the recommendation presented Monday was exactly what the public was expecting when it approved Measure U four years ago, and it was the board’s responsibility to make sure the public knows the funding was being used as intended.
“Right in (the measure language), it says we want to get rid of portables,” he said. “There’s definitely other things (we want to do), but if you look at this compared to our implementation plan, Needham will be getting additional classrooms to what the initial plan was asking for. I really like (Monday’s recommendation). It gets rid of portables, increases capacity and flexibility at the site. I’m really excited about this and I think it’s a good move.”