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Parents and staff press Antioch Unified on Fremont scope as Measure B projects advance
Summary
At a May board meeting, parents and Fremont staff voiced alarm that early Measure B bond renderings promised 13 new classrooms but schematic designs now show far fewer. Facilities staff said Fremont is in schematic design and promised follow-up meetings; trustees pressed for clearer timelines and mitigation for termites and space shortfalls.
The Antioch Unified School District board heard a wave of concerns from Fremont Elementary parents and staff on the scope of Measure B work after facilities staff presented preliminary renderings at the May meeting.
At the meeting, multiple speakers said the bond campaign imagery and earlier public renderings led community members to expect 13 new classrooms at Fremont. "Instead of 13 classrooms, I'm hearing it's only four classrooms," parent Amanda Freighus told the board, adding that the site would therefore lose portable classrooms and still lack space for psychologists, occupational therapists and on-site wellness services.
Superintendent Wayne and facilities staff acknowledged the community’s anxiety but said Fremont is still in schematic design, an early phase that will be followed by design development and construction documents. Aaron Hec, coordinator of facilities, said the district is scheduling staff and parent meetings so site priorities can be incorporated before final budgets and bids are prepared. "We definitely recognize the timing of this presentation versus presenting it to the site staff probably was not ideal," Hec said.
Parents also raised urgent maintenance issues they said should be addressed by the bond work. "We're infested with termites at our school," said Freighus, who described termites emerging from walls and closed bathrooms during school activities. Teacher Laura Boed described uneven courtyard concrete that has caused injuries and playground turf with holes that had not been replaced as promised.
Facilities director Miguel Cruz said the team is assessing long-standing facility problems and acknowledged supply-chain pressures — including tariffs and long lead times — that are squeezing bond budgets. He said the district pushed some design work up earlier than planned to address traffic and safety questions (noting coordination with the city and the state Division of the State Architect). "We need the input from staff to determine what is most important for the modernization funds," Cruz said.
Trustees asked for clearer communications and for staff to return with a timeline of school-site meetings and community input sessions. Trustee Dr. Lean asked the facilities team to provide the schedule of upcoming staff and parent meetings so trustees could attend.
The facilities presentation also highlighted other Measure B work across the district, including new turf and flag-football-ready surfaces at Antioch High, TK classroom buildings at John Muir and playground upgrades with shade structures and inclusive-play elements at multiple campuses. For Fremont, district staff described possible new MPR and admin areas, but stressed renderings were preliminary.
The next steps the board requested were: scheduled site meetings at Fremont with staff and parents, clear documentation of what in the schematic design is fixed versus still subject to change, and a plan to assess and remediate termite and urgent safety issues while schematic designs are finalized.
The board did not vote to alter Measure B budgets at the meeting; staff said the district will return with more detailed proposals after the site input and as bidding prices become available.
