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School Hearing On Land Purchase: Salinas District to Consider Site for New High School

Posted on: Friday, 2 June 2006, 00:00 CDT

By George B, The Monterey County Herald, Calif.

May 23--At a public hearing scheduled for tonight, the Salinas Union High School District could purchase the site for the district's fifth high school.

Over the past year, the school district has negotiated a deal with Alvin, Karen, Gary and Kaylene Mortensen, owners of Mortensen Farms and Triangle Farms, Inc. The Mortensens hold the 40-acre plot of land on the south side of Rogge Road, between San Juan Grade and Natividad roads, that has been identified as the proposed site for a future public high school.

The property will cost the district $13.6 million, according to a report to be delivered at today's meeting by James Earhart, associate superintendent. That money, he says, along with the modernization project for Alisal High, will be the last of Measure F funds.

Measure F is a $52 million bond passed by voters in 2002 that was targeted for 70 public projects within the district. It was the first construction bond to be approved by district voters since 1962. Money went to the Everett Alvarez High aquatic center, a $2.5 million project, $17 million in renovations at Alisal High and the renovation of the Salinas High performing arts center.

Following the public hearing, the board of trustees will also begin to discuss whether to go to voters in November to pass another construction bond to build the school and set aside funds to buy land for a sixth school.

"We don't have the funding to build the school," said Superintendent Roger Anton. "We only have funding to buy the land."

It will cost around $80 million to build the school, Anton said.

Last year, an Oakland-based opinion research and survey group, Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates, conducted a voter survey on the support of another construction bond. The group could earn as much as $15,700 to conduct a follow-up, random survey, in both Spanish and English, to see how voter attitudes have changed over the past year.

"If the public seems receptive, we'll take that into consideration," Earhart said.

The proposed site of the school is currently used for row crops and, according to Earhart's report, has one tenant. Though the land now sits in an unincorporated area, it is within the city's future annexation area.

Basic service providers have already been identified. They include: California Water Service, the Monterey County Sheriff's Office until Salinas annexes the area, and Monterey-Salinas Transit Joint Powers Agency.

The school would enroll up 1,400 students, according to the report.

"Forty acres is basically the size of Alvarez," Anton explained. "One option is going to two stories to save space."

The only concern with the area, according to the report, is a power transmission line along the east side of the property. However the school's design will incorporate proper safety measures.

Anton says he is not expecting the discussion to not go without concerns, especially given housing trends that are leading to a decrease in the city's student population.

"Some people will likely make note of declining enrollment, but we have 3,000 high school students currently in portables," Anton said. "We'd like to have permanent classrooms for them. If I could open a new school for them in September, I would."

The four public high schools in Salinas comprise Salinas, Everett Alvarez, Alisal and North Salinas.

Tuesday's meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the district office at 431 W. Alisal St. in Salinas.

herald.com.

George B. Sanchez can be reached 753-6771 or gesanchez@monterey

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Monterey County Herald, Calif.

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Source: The Monterey County Herald (Monterey, Calif.)

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