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Sunol Glen Unified: main building seismic work balloons to $13.7M; board directs bond feasibility study
Summary
Consultants told the Sunol Glen Unified School District board that work to make the 1939 main building seismically safe has more than doubled from original plans, prompting trustees to direct an immediate feasibility study into a new bond, bridge financing options and community outreach.
The Sunol Glen Unified School District heard on Monday that construction-only estimates for seismic upgrades to its historic main building have risen to about $13.7 million, more than previously budgeted under Measure J.
“This work on the original building ... totaled about 7,500,000 total project cost in 2022. And it's now estimated that construction alone is gonna be 13,700,000 total,” consultant Bill Savage told the board during the facilities update. Savage said engineers uncovered significant structural deficiencies during geotechnical and seismic evaluations that triggered a full code upgrade.
Savage described a multi‑phase plan and warned the district needs bridge financing to avoid stopping construction between phases. He said DSA (Division of State Architect) approval has been secured and that a bridge loan would allow the contractor to proceed seamlessly into Phase 2 and reoccupy the building on schedule.
“We are gonna need additional funding first in the short term to complete the main building,” Savage said, listing an immediate Phase‑2 bridge loan need and a longer Phase‑3 funding requirement to finish renovation work.
The board did not adopt a bond resolution that night but gave staff and the district's financial advisor direction to explore the feasibility of a future bond measure, gather community input and return with recommendations in May and a decision in June. Trustees emphasized the priority is student safety and continuity of contractor work.
The presentation included an initial facilities master‑plan timeline and a range of additional capital needs across campus wings; Savage said staff would present a draft master plan in May and seek board approval in June to support state funding applications.
