Multiple construction-related items are on the agenda for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) Board of Education meeting on April 20 this week, including the possibility of the district purchasing the Civic Auditorium, an increase to the estimated construction cost of the Gold Gymnasium and Discovery Building at Santa Monica High School, and updates on other projects in the district.
Civic Auditorium
In February of this year, SMMUSD announced interest in purchasing the historic Civic Auditorium and converting it into a competition gym for the high school. SMMUSD Chief Operations Officer Carey Upton presented a proposal to the board on the matter at their March 2 meeting and said that such a move could save the district significant time and money by eliminating the need to build a new gym on the Samohi campus.
Board members approved conducting a feasibility study of the project and will vote at this week’s meeting on whether or not to award an agreement not to exceed $86,210.93 to NV5 to conduct an optional environmental study at the site to identify potential hazards.
"The District is in the process of conducting a Feasibility Study of the Santa Monica Civic Center, constructed in the 1950s, to understand its capabilities and potential benefits to Samohi as a competition gymnasium and other uses," the meeting agenda states. "Past environmental reports for the Civic Center have revealed asbestos and lead materials on site which were common in construction in that era. The available environmental reports are several years old and must be verified by today’s standards."
While the district was the first to show interest in the site following its designation as surplus land last year, Community Corporation of Santa Monica (CCSM) recently emerged as a bidder interested in developing the site and using portions of it for affordable housing while maintaining the landmarked auditorium structure. They also emphasized plans to work with the Committee for Racial Justice to incorporate the area's history into the project.
The City Council discussed the two proposals in closed session last week, but no decision has yet been made.
The SMMUSD board is also scheduled to meet with property negotiators during closed session at the upcoming April 20 meeting to discuss the sale price of the site.
Gold Gymnasium, Discovery Building and other construction updates
According to the district, an additional $2,674,955.50 and an increase of 25 working days is now needed to address unforeseen circumstances that have resulted in an expanded scope of work for the construction of the Gold Gymnasium and the Discovery Building on the Samohi Campus. The Board will vote on whether to approve an amendment with this increase.
Board members will also review award agreements to contractors for projects at Lincoln Middle School,Grant Elementary School, Roosevelt Elementary School and McKinley Elementary School.
Money for these projects is coming from Measure SMS, however the need for roof repair and other maintenance work including at the John Muir/SMASH campus created budget challenges. Board members will vote on the authorization to obtain temporary funding to be able to continue with planned work if necessary prior to another bond being passed at a future date.
Other Agenda Items
Also on the agenda is an annual public hearing on the Measure R parcel tax. The district is required to allow for public input in the budgeting process on whether priority programs included in the budget should be modified in any way.
"Measure R was approved by the voters of the cities of Santa Monica and Malibu in 2008 as a permanent parcel tax to fund school programs that could not be funded through State educational funding alone," the 2023-24 Measure R Budget Proposal stated. "For Fiscal Year 2023-24, the amount available is projected to be $14.01 million."
The board will also hear a presentation on Project Based Learning initiatives in the district.
The April 20 meeting will be held at the new District Administrative Offices at 1717 4th St., Santa Monica, CA. Parking can be found at the multi-story parking structure located at 333 Civic Center Dr. Members of the public may also attend and comment via Zoom.
For more details and the full meeting agenda visit: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/ViewMeeting.aspx?S=36030435&MID=18663
For more information on the Measure R Budget visit: https://www.smmusd.org/cms/lib/CA50000164/Centricity/Domain/300/MeasureR-AnnualPlan2324.pdf
