November 10, 2004

Dear Greater Eureka Resident,

This past summer was a busy one for bond related facility improvement projects in Eureka City Schools.

We are nearing completion of a centralized kitchen located inside the district corporation yard building. This modern, well-equipped facility will enhance food preparation and increase efficiency for our breakfast and lunch programs. Eureka City Schools serves approximately 700,000 meals annually.

Handicapped accessible restrooms were added at Winship Middle School along with electrical power upgrades. Construction will begin soon on the new multi-purpose room.

Zane Middle School started the school year amidst a covered walkway replacement project, which is nearing completion.

At Eureka High School, the main building was painted, old portable classrooms removed, and a new handicapped accessible parking area was installed at Albee Stadium.

In my May 9, 2004, “My Word” column, printed in the “Times-Standard” and posted on the ECS website, I outlined the master facility plan for Eureka High School. In that column, I stressed the district’s desire and intent to invest the community’s tax dollars in a wise and sustainable manner keeping in mind the best educational interests of our students. It is common knowledge that we have significant seismic and modernization issues with both the main building and gymnasium at Eureka High School.

In the May 9 article, I also indicated that it would cost an estimated $32 million to modernize (including handicap access) and seismically retrofit the main building to meet FEMA 310 standards. That sum alone would use every secondary school’s bond dollar at our disposal and leave nothing for the remainder of Eureka High School, Winship or Zane middle schools. As a result, we will limit our scope of work in the main building to basic seismic safety found in the 1961 Field Act that will meet safe exit standards in case of a significant seismic event. The building will also be modified to meet minimum Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards with regard to restrooms and the installation of an elevator. This will be the extent of work done on the main building and total approximately $7 million dollars. We will not be able to modernize classrooms, offices, or the auditorium.

The Jay Willard complex, as indicated in the May 9 article, has its own seismic and modernization challenges. Projected costs to retrofit and modernize the gym have risen to more than $10 million. The estimated cost to replace the complex with equal square footage is estimated to total approximately $13 million. With the difference being $3 million, the decision has been made to build a new gym complex.

The new complex will not include a pool. Working with staff and community, we will develop a master plan that includes an aquatic center on the Eureka High School campus. This center will provide greater community access and serve future generations in years to come. The district greatly appreciates the $384,000 donation in 2002 from Rob and Cherie Arkley, which gave the pool a temporary lease on life. However, as part of the Jay Willard complex, the pool contributes significantly to exorbitant renovation costs. The pool continues to present daily maintenance challenges with issues of humidity, energy consumption, and chronic damage to the ceiling and other exposed surfaces. The district is sensitive to community needs with regard to the development of a viable aquatic center and looks forward to working with the community to achieve such a goal.

The Eureka City Schools Governing Board is focused on investing community tax dollars in a manner that will ensure sustainable educational facilities for our students today and tomorrow. Although the Jay Willard complex has been a wonderful venue and has served our students and community so well over the decades, the board determined that investing over $10 million in the complex would leave the community with a modestly renovated 56-year-old gym in the short term, but a maintenance liability in the long term. For the most part, wiring, plumbing, and interior water systems would remain unchanged while presenting ongoing maintenance challenges due to age. The energy costs associated with the Jay Willard complex continue to be very high due to inherent design inefficiencies. Instead, the board believes a new gym, which triples the potential capacity for community use with youth and adult basketball league games and meets all building and safety codes, is the preferable investment in our school facilities. We have been working with staff on the new gym design since last spring.

Please visit our website at www.eurekacityschools.org to view drawings of the proposed gym and other bond activities.

Sincerely,

James W. Scott, Ed.D.

Superintendent