Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Measure Sos topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified board approves revised Measure SOS project list after public push for middle‑school pool; adds Monty Malaga fencing
Summary
After weeks of outreach and public testimony — including students and parents urging repair of an aging, DSA‑approved middle‑school pool — the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District board on May 14 approved a revised Measure SOS project list and added perimeter fencing at Monty Malaga to the list. The board emphasized projects will return for detailed approvals and noted cost escalations and sequencing needs.
At its May 14 meeting the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District board voted unanimously to approve a revised Measure SOS project list that preserves work on a DSA‑approved middle‑school pool project and adds perimeter fencing at Monty Malaga.
District staff told the board the first bond sale generated $75 million and staff refined an initial project list of about $84 million into a broader set of projects now estimated at roughly $135 million after adding district‑wide HVAC, electrical and other core infrastructure contingencies. "With funds from the initial sale already in hand, we must now onboard architects and planning teams," Superintendent Dr. Serrano said during the presentation; project specifics and costs will be refined and returned to the board for contract approvals.
The pool project drew sustained public attention. "This pool gave me that chance," student speaker Montgomery Selenus told trustees, describing how access to the pool fostered leadership, fitness and opportunities such as junior lifeguard training. Several parents and community members said the pool has instructional value for physical education, after‑school programs and community swim lessons. District staff noted the pool plans received Division of State Architect approval in September 2024, which factors into urgency: DSA approvals can expire if construction does not commence.
Board members pressed staff on tradeoffs and sequencing. Trustee Ami Gandhi said the district had "done a lot of work" to refine estimates and outreach, and urged balancing quick wins with long‑lead seismic and modernization projects. Alan, the district’s DAG representative, recommended treating the bond program as a multi‑year continuous program that blends short‑term, visible fixes with longer, complex upgrades so the district meets IRS spending rules and construction timelines.
After extended Q&A, the board approved the revised list with an amendment to add perimeter fencing at Monty Malaga; the motion passed 4–0. President Kurt read the roll call: Eric Aliggria, Ami Gandhi, Dr. Dean and Kurt voted yes.
What happens next: staff will onboard architects and construction managers, package projects for competitive bidding and coordinate DSA filings where required. Project managers said each major project will return to the board for individual approvals and noted the district had built several years of cost escalation contingencies into the current estimates.
Trustees emphasized transparency and community engagement. Brena Terronis, who led the facilities briefing, said the list is "a starting point, not the end of the planning process," and invited continued public input as projects move into the design and permitting phase.
