Wiseburn bond update: Hollow Glen TK conversion, sports complex GMP, solar and districtwide upgrades outlined

District facilities staff presented Bond Program Update No. 15 to the Wiseburn Unified School District Board on March 20, reviewing the status of multiple capital projects, construction schedules, procurement results and funding considerations.

Presenter Noemi (district bond program lead) began with an update on Hollow Glen Elementary’s transitional kindergarten conversion. She said the project broke ground Jan. 6 and is on a fast schedule. The contractor (Arc Dependable) is repurposing six classrooms to create four TK classrooms; demolition and framing work were complete and the project was tracking to substantial completion in July with final completion shortly afterward. A requested change order for a light refresh of an adjacent undersized workroom was quoted at $36,190 and — Noemi said — remains within contingency.

Districtwide flooring and ceiling-tile refresh work is under contract through a piggyback procurement with KAI (the board previously approved a $2,200,000 contract). The work will begin June 19 and the plan is to complete classrooms and administrative areas by July 31, with gym work continuing through August. The presentation said the project will replace carpet and VCT in non-restroom spaces and install OmniSport gym flooring at Weisberg Middle School.

Noemi described a furniture pilot across six classrooms (including a kindergarten pilot) planned for spring break installation, with staff surveys to follow. Staff intend to return contract recommendations to the July 17 board meeting; she noted a manufacturing lead time risk that could push installations to winter break if the July board deadline is missed.

The board heard a detailed briefing on the 130 Fifth/Aviation site — the district’s new sports complex. Noemi said the construction procurement produced many subcontract bids across divisions; the guaranteed maximum price (GMP) being presented to the board for award was $12,900,000. She reminded trustees that the previously board-approved Tequati field (separately procured) was $2,900,000 and not included in the $12.9M GMP. Noemi said soft costs were negotiated down significantly versus earlier planning and estimated about $2,000,000 in soft-cost savings; the team is carrying both a 3% construction contingency and a 3% owner contingency.

Bids opened earlier this year for the sports complex; Noemi said the project team vetted roughly 72 bids (many divisions had 8–10 bidders) and met personally with subcontractors to confirm scope. If the board approves the GMP, Noemi said a project start could follow in early April and the team will hold a public groundbreaking ceremony planned for March 27.

Del Aire baseball-field improvements were bid as a base (practice-field) scope and an additive alternate to expand to an NFHS-regulation full-size field (350 feet). The base bid price reported was $1,000,089 (apparent low bidder Kaya Services); the base-plus-alternate low bidder would be Corner Keystone Construction at about $1,277,000. The team was preparing an intent-to-award and planned to discuss timing with DaVinci Connect (a nearby program) because of shared site use; if approved, construction would begin after school (mid-June) with substantial completion around Aug. 9 and a 90-day maintenance period.

On solar, battery storage and EV charging, Noemi said most of the solar carports are installed but the district is waiting on final permission-to-operate (PTO) from Southern California Edison (SCE) at several sites. That PTO is a prerequisite for an Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) pre-filing application paired with expected IRA reimbursements; Noemi said the district has begun IRA inquiries but cannot file until PTOs are in hand. She estimated the overall solar/battery/EV program at roughly $3.2 million and warned reimbursement timelines (IRS review) could be lengthy.

The presentation included a marquee and signage study: a phased option to replace campus ID panels and, in some cases, LED displays. One lower-cost approach — replacing only ID panels and select building signage — was estimated at about $142,000 across sites; a full LED refresh would be considerably higher. Staff recommended treating the signage work as deferred maintenance funding rather than bond-funded scope and bringing an action item to a future board meeting.

Noemi also reported on the SLC relocation DSA submittal (Division of the State Architect). DSA intake initially rejected the submittal because older uncertified scope on the site required additional certification; Noemi said the team resubmitted and will pursue clarifications to avoid calendar delays, but warned uncertified historical work could trigger further repairs.

Door access control work and other security upgrades are in DSA review and will require coordination with NWN (door access vendor) and PBK (architect). Staff flagged schedule risk for completing all door-control work at four sites during the same summer because of competing large summer projects.

During facilities discussion the board signaled consensus to call the 130 Fifth/Aviation site the Wiseburn Sports Complex and staff indicated they would bring a formal naming item back to the board for consideration. The board voted to approve a contract amendment (lease-leaseback) for the 130 Fifth/Aviation project with Erickson Hall Construction Company and to approve an amendment for the inspector-of-record contract for the solar and EV charging project with the Pringle Group; both contract amendments carried unanimously.

Trustees asked several schedule and budget questions about contingency, tariffs and whether bid prices included possible escalation. Staff said they were carrying combined contingencies (about $700,000 total in stated contingencies) and that early bidding helped secure current pricing. Noemi and staff emphasized the level of review the team performed and noted the district achieved unusually low soft-cost percentages on the sports-complex project through negotiation with consultants.

The update included other brief project notes (DaVinci kitchen remodel and cafe permit submittals, field turf repairs where depressions were found, Holly Glen TK playground DSA review) and closed with staff offering to return to the board with contract documents, timelines and a formal name-change action for the sports complex.