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Paso Officials Consider Trying Again: The District's Building Funds Are Drying Up, Officials Say, and the High School is Becoming Increasingly Cramped

Posted on: Thursday, 8 June 2006, 21:00 CDT

By Nick Wilson, The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Jun. 8--In the wake of a close defeat Tuesday of Measure H, Paso Robles school district officials will assess whether to float another bond measure in the November election.

The district's building funds are drying up, school officials say, and the high school campus is becoming increasingly cramped.

"We could do it again in November," said district Superintendent Patrick Sayne. "I'm sure we'll never persuade the 'no' voters. But we need to get more 'yes' voters out to the booths."

The district's upcoming major project -- which would have been covered by the $20 million measure -- will be re-roofing Paso Robles High School. A $1 million state grant will help pay for the $1.7 million project, but the remaining cost will deplete the district's building funds, said assistant superintendent Gary Hoskins.

Necessary fixes to the school's heating and ventilation system will be put on hold and some classrooms may lose air conditioning, Hoskins said.

School districts can apply for hardship funding from the state to complete needed projects without matching funds (such as from a bond).

But it will be difficult for the district to secure more of that funding because, Hoskins said, "we've gone to the well many times."

The district built its newest elementary school, Kermit King off Highway 46 East, with hardship funding, for example.

"It's a disadvantage when you have applied for state hardship money before," Hoskins said.

Meanwhile, district officials worry that in addition to continuing disrepair, the high school will become increasingly crowded.

The district on Wednesday distributed results of a $45,000 study done by David Taussig & Associates that projects the high school campus will have 2,523 students by 2010 and 3,005 by 2015.

The high school's capacity is 2,184 students -- which includes the use of more than 20 portable buildings. Projections are based on the completion of the Chandler Ranch, Beechwood and Olsen Ranch development plans.

The Taussig study wasn't released before the election, school officials said, because the consulting group was not able to present it publicly until June 6. And Sayne said the Taussig report could have hurt the campaign because some voters might have seen it as an encouragement of growth.

The district needed 55 percent approval from voters to pass Measure H and received 53.8 percent support.

The close defeat may be the reason the district could try another bond measure, said Kim Gaspar -- a parent who led the "Yes on H" grass roots campaign. Gaspar isn't sure if the Taussig report would have made a difference or not.

"More people understand the bond measure needs to be passed now," Gaspar said. "But we didn't get enough people to the polls. We needed more parents."

Reach Nick Wilson at

238-2720, ext. 20.

Measure H: Paso school bond

55% needed for approval; 100% of precincts reporting; results are unofficial

Yes 53.8%

No 46.2%

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Tribune, San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)

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