First Phase of Plan Implementation with Funds Allocated from Bond Measures L and I Starts this Summer
SANTA ROSA, Calif., April 28, 2016 – At yesterday’s board meeting, the Santa Rosa City Schools (SRCS) Board of Education approved its districtwide Facilities Master Plan, which identifies building and infrastructure improvements at every school site. Developed by Santa Rosa-based educational facility planning and design firm Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA), the meticulously developed Plan aligns with SRCS’ current and future goals of providing safe, state-of-the-art learning environments that support the ways teachers teach and students learn. Funding for the first phase of improvements is derived from 2014 voter approved Measure L, a $54 million bond for elementary schools, and Measure I, a $175 million bond for middle and high schools.
“SRCS is dedicated to excellence in education, and with this landscape constantly changing, it’s crucial that our schools evolve to ensure students receive the foundation needed for success in our competitive economy,” said Rick Edson, SRCS Chief Technology/Bond Officer. “Like many districts in the Bay Area and across California, SRCS has a significant need for investment in our school facilities. We are thrilled to have a thorough Facilities Master Plan in place, which provides a road map for improving our school facilities over the next 15 to 20 years and is flexible to revisit and update over time as the educational landscape continues to change and evolve. QKA was instrumental in this process, having consistently showed professionalism while leveraging planning and design experience from its many renowned school projects in neighboring districts. QKA has been a true partner, assessor and critical thinker throughout this process.”
Development of the Facilities Master Plan required assessments of each of SRCS’ 24 campuses and analyzing current and future needs, such as enrollment and academic programs, as well as identifying and prioritizing recommended upgrades for each campus. The Facilities Master Plan was developed with significant community input, including more than 70 meetings with approximately 500 community stakeholders representing every school site. This ensured student, teacher and parent involvement played a pivotal role in the development of the educational facilities guidelines and ensured equity across the district. Each project identified was evaluated in six areas to rate its relative importance and aid in prioritizing needs.
“Throughout the development of the Facilities Master Plan, community engagement was a fundamental part of the process,” said QKA Principal Aaron Jobson, who led the SRCS master planning process. “We worked in conjunction with the superintendent, district and school administration, faculty, staff, parents and community members to listen and fully understand the requests and feedback for each campus. The community input played a pivotal role in assessing all of the immediate and future infrastructure and facility needs across the district.”
The Facilities Master Plan details a long-range vision for improving and renovating all school facilities in SRCS and guides facilities decision-making beyond the scope of the current funding available. Starting this summer and with major projects beginning in summer 2017, the combined Measures L and I $229 million general obligation bond funding will support the Implementation Plan, which is under development and set to complete in May. It will identify the highest priority projects from the Facilities Master Plan to bring the most benefit to the teachers and students in the short term. These projects will include technology upgrades, important modernization of existing facilities to improve safety and security and address long term maintenance issues. The Implementation Plan will be presented to the Board next month and will detail the projects to be funded and the timeline for construction.
Added Jobson, “The Facilities Master Plan provides the basis for maximizing the value of the Measure I and L funding right now to make tangible differences in classrooms and on campuses and foster optimal student potential and achievement across the district. It also puts SRCS in a position to take advantage of any additional funding that becomes available and plan for future improvements. We want to make sure that, on a long-term basis, SRCS bond funds will be earmarked for the most important, impactful and lasting improvements. We are very excited for current and future Santa Rosa students and educators.”
For more information on SRCS’ bond program and to view the Facilities Master Plan, visit: http://www.srcsbond.news/.
About Quattrocchi Kwok Architects
Santa Rosa-based Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) provides comprehensive master planning, design and construction administration services for Northern California K-12 and higher education, historic renovation and community facilities. With over $1.2 billion in projects completed in the company’s 30-year history, QKA’s award-winning portfolio reflects a commitment to design that emphasizes environmental sustainability and community impact. Recent projects include American Canyon High School, which is heralded as the “greenest school in America” and has achieved one of the highest scores of a California school to date from the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) Verified program. Visit: www.qka.com.
About Santa Rosa City Schools
Based in Sonoma County, Santa Rosa City Schools is composed of the Santa Rosa Elementary School District (Grades TK-6) and the Santa Rosa High School District (Grades 7-12). The combined districts have over 16,000 students and encompasses ten elementary, five middle schools, six high schools, and four charter schools. Visit: www.srcs.k12.ca.us
