In the face of budget shortfalls prompted by inflation, the Mountain View Los Altos High School District Board of Trustees last week opted to delay construction of additional classrooms in favor of pursuing modernization projects.
Measure E passed in 2018, authorizing MVLA to issue $295 million in bonds to fund new buildings and improvements to existing infrastructure at Los Altos and Mountain View high schools and Freestyle Academy of Communication Arts & Technology. But since then, construction costs have increased by 50%, according to a district staff report. Normal cost escalation was built into the original budgets for each project, but unprecedented levels of inflation associated with the pandemic have caused the actual cost escalation to exceed typical historical trends.
“When you look in terms of uncommitted funds, there’s a little over $122 million left, which is sizable, and yet when we look at the project list remaining, the conversation we’re here to have is how we allocate those funds appropriately to make sure we are able to complete the projects that are next in line so that we can provide these amazing facilities for our students,” said Mike Mathiesen, associate superintendent of business services.
Construction bids for Mountain View High and Los Altos High facility repairs, coupled with the 500 Wing Pavilion project, came in higher than anticipated, resulting in a $15.2 million budget increase required to complete the two projects. The overall costs of the two projects have come in at approximately 56% higher than originally budgeted.
Remaining projects that have not yet gone to bid include gym, library, music room and cafeteria modernizations, as well as repurposing the Mountain View High cafeteria into a performing arts venue.
To make up for the shortfall, trustees voted to allocate funds for the modernization projects rather than defer the remaining projects. However, that does not mean the additional classrooms will never be built, as the district is expecting future state funding in the amount of $30 million from the School Facility Program, which could be used to replenish the bond sale.
More trouble lies ahead, as construction costs are unlikely to decrease. Upcoming projects that have not yet gone to bid are likely to come in higher than currently projected. Trustee Thida Cornes said she doesn’t think all of the projects will be completed as currently planned.
“I think that we’re going to make more cuts,” she said. “Looking at this, I don’t think we’re going to be able to do everything on here.”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” trustee Phil Faillace responded.
Trustees were forced to reevaluate the original goals of Measure E, which were to accommodate sustained enrollment growth and prepare for even further growth in the coming years while also repairing and modernizing facilities at each comprehensive high school campus to meet “21st-century educational standards.”
However, enrollment has not grown as much as projected when the bond was passed five years ago. In 2018, administrators predicted that enrollment would jump from 4,297 students in 2017-2018 to 5,023 by the 2021-2022 school year; enrollment last year totaled an estimated 4,516 students, according to this year’s budget.
Despite years of enrollment trending upward and faring well in the face of declining enrollment in other Bay Area school districts, MVLA administrators are finally predicting slight enrollment decreases over the next few years.
Still, some additional classrooms might be necessary to address current overcrowding and potential Mountain View housing growth in the future.
Project deadlines
Since construction began in 2021, students have already begun to enjoy completed projects, including Los Altos High’s upgraded classrooms and new auxiliary gym, STEM labs and drought-resistant synthetic turf on athletic fields. But administrators say the best is yet to come.
Mathiesen said at the April 24 meeting that Freestyle Academy of Communication Arts & Technology’s new classrooms are slated to be unveiled in just a few weeks, despite originally being scheduled to debut in February.
The project previously faced some hitches after substantial rains last fall, which delayed work on floors and building exteriors. Mathiesen said the wait will be well worth it.
“Freestyle is a fantastic program, and now there is a facility to match the quality of the program designed specifically for the work they do,” Mathiesen told the Town Crier last year.
The bond project’s largest and most consequential structures are the student services buildings under construction at Mountain View and Los Altos high schools, which are expected to be completed by the end of summer. The two-story buildings will become the new hubs on the campuses, housing administration, counseling and therapeutic services, the College and Career Center, staff workrooms, the Associated Student Body leadership room and student lounges. Mountain View High’s student services building also will include a new cafeteria kitchen and dining area.
