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The Menlo Park City School District is working on updating its facilities across all five of their campuses: Encinal Elementary, Oak Knoll Elementary, Laurel School’s upper and lower campuses and Hillview Middle School. During an April 18 meeting, Superintendent Kristen Gracia urged the board to consider putting a $123 million bond on the November ballot.
“I say this with confidence and agency. Our facilities needs will require bond funding,” said Gracia.
In the most recent revision and reassessment of budgeting for facilities needs, the district was able to reduce total costs by $35 million and is still considering ways to cut down costs and obtain funds through grants.
“We are looking hard at where is money that we can get outside of the community, not just from the community,” said school board President Francesca Segrè.
The district would like to upgrade security on campuses with automatic door locks, fencing, keycard entry, integrated surveillance and fire alarm upgrades, according to an April 18 staff presentation.
Teachers and students also spoke during public comment about the dire need for air conditioning and ventilation in classrooms. With climate change, warmer days are increasing and 70% of MPCSD classrooms do not have air conditioning. Classroom temperatures can reach up to 80 degrees. Currently, the district’s HVAC systems are 16 to 20 years old. Constant repairs of old units is costly, officials said.
“It is so uncomfortable teaching in a hot classroom. On the days when it is so hot in the classroom, the kids are not learning. Teachers cannot teach,” said Marisela Ghahramani, a fifth grade Spanish immersion teacher at Laurel School.
Amy Kingsley, a French teacher at Hillview Middle School, said the teachers are using portable fans, which are loud and ineffective at cooling the entire classroom. She adds that the unpleasant smell of body odor is strong from the heat and humidity.
Additionally, there are buildings across all campuses that are outdated and don’t meet current earthquake safety standards. Buildings at Laurel School’s lower campus are from 1959, made from cinder block and need to be taken down and rebuilt, according to officials. Hillview Middle School’s locker room and gymnasium are in the same condition.
The district’s audio-visual systems are also more than 20 years old.
“We should be utilizing classroom technology instead of it slowing us down,” said Gracia, who adds that AV systems can be used to improve safety, emergency communications, connectivity and digital learning.
The facilities planning process began in June 2023. Gracia said that the planning is ready to move into the next phase — organizing a timeline for construction. She predicts that if construction starts in 2026 everything will be completed in six years.
Financial considerations for a bond measure
“Our facilities require a timely response in order to find this work we will need the funding as soon as possible,” said Gracia. “As soon as possible in the world of bonds, is the November 2024 ballot.”
Gracia explained that a bond is necessary because the district’s current funds are not enough for what it needs. MPCSD’s current budget for deferred maintenance is limited for smaller scale projects such as carpet replacement or roof repairs, she said. In addition, funds from the 2021 parcel tax can only be used for teaching and learning, not facilities.
The district also receives developer fees, “paid by housing developers and owners of the school district to mitigate the impact created by new development within the district’s boundaries.” However, these fees can only be used on projects related to increased enrollment.
Gracia answered the question: why now? She explained the district has access to up to $28 million in state funding, grants and tax credits and students deserve to be learning in healthier and safer classrooms.
If a bond isn’t placed on the November ballot, the next chance for the district will be in 2026, but “there is undeniable risk in waiting,” Gracia said.
Community engagement on facility needs
According to a poll released by the district “even our parents have very low awareness of these needs,” said school board Vice President Sherwin Chen. “I think we, as board members, need to be reaching out and talking to as many parents as possible.”
Sherwin encouraged other board members to work with their liaisons to spread how urgent the needs are to parents.
Parents and school administrators came forward during public comment urging the board to approve a bond for the November ballot.
“I urge the board to consider a bond measure to raise the money necessary to undertake the work that our district has identified as critical,” said MPCSD parent Katherine Bicer. “I’m fully in support of such a measure and I’m eager to be part of the effort.”
Linda Creighton, Laurel’s lower campus principal, expressed her support for a bond measure. She noted that after school breaks or storms, the pipes in 65-year-old buildings often run brown water. Her school also has windows that don’t slide open and have outdated parts that can’t be replaced.
If the school board decides to put a bond on the November ballot, the board will need to approve a resolution by the final meeting of the school year on June 13 as the board will not be meeting in July. The last day to place a bond measure on the November election is in August.