A new music building, faster Wi-Fi and more computers for students: All of these are among the aspirations that have been made a reality since the Measure E project was approved by voters in 2014.
Measure E, a bond that asked voters for $99 million, has funded new projects for both Saratoga and Los Gatos High. According to principal Paul Robinson, Los Gatos received $55 million while Saratoga was given $44 million, because Los Gatos has a higher student population.
In June 2014, 70 percent of voters expressed support for the Measure E project, agreeing to pay slightly increased taxes to be given to the schools for construction, remodeling and other purposes.
“It all comes down to taxes,” Robinson said. “The taxes pay for all of these big projects over the years and we try to use the money as wisely as we can to fulfill exactly what we told the voters we were going to do.”
The money from Measure E has been used to build the new music building, remodel the upper fields and improve heating and air conditioning in classrooms. Measure E has also allowed for students to experience upgraded technology, such as new projectors, smartboards and laptop charts. After all these major projects, Robinson estimates that the school has spent about $28 to $30 million of the bond and has approximately $10 million of the Measure E budget remaining for other projects.
For now, the school plans to spend part of that money on remodeling various wings and classrooms. Workers are in the process of remodeling the old music building into a MAP annex and the 800 wing into a wellness center for students.
However, according to English teacher Natasha Ritchie, not much of this plan has been implemented yet. Additionally, although MAP will get new rooms in the old music building, they will also be losing classrooms in the 800 wing, so not much space will actually be gained in the transition.
Despite this, there are many advantages for this plan. For instance, the new rooms will better suit MAP classes than traditional classrooms.
“There are small recording rooms for MAP to use because we have students who want to record sound,” Ritchie said. “So having soundproof rooms works great for us.”
Some money from Measure E is also being used to repaint the walls, make sure that AC units are functional and buy new furniture in the old music building.
In addition, the current stage craft room in the 900 wing will be moving to the maintenance area near the back of the school; that room will eventually be remodelled into an additional science classroom. More space available near the old music building will also allow the robotics room to be remodelled and expanded.
With various buildings on campus being modernized, the school also plans to redo the main office, one of the few buildings that has never been remodeled since the school’s founding in 1959, Robinson said.
“It’s exciting to see those things happen,” he added. “We feel there’s been some really good positive changes on campus. We’re going to realize more of those once we get that student center and wellness center put in.”
If money is saved from various projects, that money can then be used for new projects that may not have been at the top of the school’s priorities, Robinson said. For example, the school hopes to be able to save enough money on its current projects to re-turf and remodel the baseball field.
Meanwhile, Los Gatos High is also focused on finishing its own projects with Measure E, such as building new classrooms and redoing parts of the school’s theater. A brand new set of at least 10 classrooms will be Los Gatos’s biggest project. The school is hoping to have this project completed by the fall of 2019, Robinson said.
The Measure E process has allowed Robinson and other members of Saratoga High’s administration to communicate with students, parents and teachers to address what they want their school to be.
“It’s just been a great opportunity for us to have good conversations with students, with parents, with staff members,” Robinson said. “We’re slowly making it into what I think is going to be a really, really great school in the future.”
Along with having these conversations, community members were able to vote on possible projects and give their input on what they wanted for the future of Saratoga High.
Aside from this, the community has been able to benefit the school in other ways as well. Monetary contributions from the community have helped increase the budget for other projects.
For instance, PTSO has supported projects that Measure E hasn’t been able to cover, such as the tutoring center in the library and all the new furniture and computers available there for students.
“Our PTSO has helped to buy things that have gone into the classrooms that Measure E wasn’t able to buy,” Robinson said. “The community has, every year, put additional resources in besides just paying their tax bill. It’s been great that the community wants this place to be a great school.”
