Architects outline facilities master plan priorities; Santa Rosa, safety and athletics emphasized

Architects working on the district's facilities master plan told the Board Finance Subcommittee on Feb. 2 that community meetings and site input are nearly complete and that recurring priorities at elementary sites include early-childhood facilities, fencing and security, and replacing portable classrooms.

Aaron Jobson of Guoq Architects summarized the update and schedule, saying the master plan identifies a larger set of needs than the district can fund immediately and will be used to prioritize bond and capital spending. "Our job is really to update for the major things that have changed," Jobson said as he reviewed site-level findings and the capacity-analysis approach.

For middle and high schools being reconfigured into 7—12 campuses, architects recommended creating distinct "neighborhoods" for younger students and planning accessory athletic spaces, multiuse rooms and additional small gyms or portable solutions where full new gyms are not feasible.

The team said they have completed most site committee meetings and are scheduling student input sessions for Montgomery and Santa Rosa elementary/middle sites to gather seventh- and eighth-grade perspectives. Jobson noted state bond rules (Proposition 2) require updated capacity analysis as part of planning for state funding eligibility.

Trustees asked for clearer upload/access to presentation materials and more detail on athletic-field counts across campuses; staff said fencing and electronic access projects are well underway at many sites and locks/electronic access are scheduled for completion by year-end.

Next steps: the architects expect to present a draft at a board study session in March, incorporate additional student/community feedback and provide a cost estimate and final draft for approval.