At its meeting, the East Whittier City School District board received a presentation on planning for a potential Measure C bond, including a recommended approach to spread improvements across the district rather than fund a small number of full modernizations.

Superintendent Dr. Patterson and district staff reviewed the work completed under Measures R and Z, summarized costs from prior modernizations (the modernization at Leffingwell was cited at about $18.9 million) and explained the options for Measure C. Staff said the district will update its facilities master plan (required to be no older than five years to qualify for certain state funding programs) and then issue a request for proposals to create an architectural pool of firms for bond projects. The board was told that state program requirements tied to Proposition 2 include assessing solar opportunities across sites.

Staff recommended an approach that prioritizes items that raise the teaching and learning environment and can be performed at scale — specifically doors and windows, interior classroom upgrades including flooring and paint, and campus air conditioning — so more schools can benefit rather than funding only one or two full modernizations. The presentation noted how construction-cost escalation can double or substantially increase original bid estimates: an example cited was Orchardale, whose pre-COVID bid estimates were about $11–13 million but reached $19–21 million post-COVID with the same scope.

Timeline and next steps included: finalizing the facilities master plan in spring; drafting an RFP for an architectural pool; returning to the board to adopt a resolution to sell bonds (presented as possible at the Feb. 3 or Feb. 18 board meeting); completion of financial due diligence and credit calls in March; and, if the board approves, selling bonds in mid-March so initial funds are available to start immediate priority work. Staff said two projects they would seek to complete first (weather permitting) are concrete work previously approved at Scott Avenue and Granada during spring break and roofing replacements at East Whittier and Hillview.

Board members asked about contractor availability given regional wildfire rebuilding demand and whether school projects might face competition for labor and materials; staff said they were not yet concerned about lack of contractors but acknowledged cost and scheduling pressures. The presentation also previewed establishing a citizens’ oversight committee for Measure C and noted the district would engage in value-engineering to identify cost savings options before final project scopes are set.

Why this matters: Measure C would shape facilities investments across the district for years. The board will decide whether to proceed with a bond issuance and, if approved by voters later, how to prioritize projects among 11 remaining campuses.

The board did not vote on Measure C strategy at the meeting; staff sought direction and scheduled further board review and a possible bond-resolution vote in February.