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• Year 2007

New, Upgraded Facilities Can Improve Student Achievement and Teacher Retention

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell continued his back to school campaign today by welcoming thousands of students attending schools that recently opened or were recently modernized.

"A learning environment that is safe and clean can help students succeed academically," said O'Connell. "I want to thank Californians who have invested in sound public schools by voting for school construction and modernization bonds. As a state, we are making great strides in building and modernizing school facilities. However, the need for up-to-date classrooms remains great. Each day, 36 new classrooms must be built or modernized in order to meet the needs of our students and address the state's aging school facilities."

Seventy-three percent of California's 292,059 classrooms are more than 25 years old. In the next five years, student enrollment is expected to dip slightly, following a decade of growth of a million students. Despite this, there is still a need to build 15 new classrooms and modernize another 21 each day to replace old facilities and avoid classroom overcrowding. The state's share of the cost is an estimated $2.37 billion a year.

As a state senator, O'Connell successfully spearheaded the effort to pass Proposition 39 that reduced the vote threshold needed to pass local school bond proposals from two-thirds to 55 percent. As a result, more than $24 billion has been approved by voters in local elections to build or modernize school facilities. Also, since Proposition 39 passed in 2000, voters in California have approved $28.7 billion in state general obligation bonds that are available to match local funds for the new construction or modernization of school facilities. This infusion of funding has lead to a boom in school construction projects.

Thanks to statewide voter-approved initiatives Proposition 55 and 47, $10.1 billion in state bond matching funds have already been allocated for new construction that would meet the needs of 697,327 students. Another $5.4 billion in state matching funds has been allocated for modernization projects that would serve an additional 1.4 million students.

There are new school construction projects ongoing in many districts across the state, and many examples of innovative school construction projects that have recently been completed.

"One of the interesting new schools opening up in the Murrieta Valley Unified School District in Riverside County is the Lisa J. Mails Elementary School," added O'Connell. "This is a K-6 School of Choice that features several energy-efficient innovations that exceed the state's requirements. The school has skylights with dampers that sense the amount of natural light and adjust the indoor light accordingly. Research has shown natural daylight to have a powerful effect on student achievement. As we build new schools and improve existing facilities, we must remain mindful that smart choices in construction and design can help students reach their full potential."

For more information about this new school, contact Karen Parris, Murrieta Valley Unified School District at 951-696-1600 ext. 1022 or kparris@murrieta.k12.ca.us.

"In the Riverside Unified School District in Riverside County, two new schools are opening this year and 13 schools have been modernized," added O'Connell. "The district is also expanding its use of technology in the classroom by adding Promethean ActivBoards in new and modernized classrooms serving students in grades one through six and is in process of installing them in high schools. The district's new buildings also feature water conservation technology as well as energy-efficient lighting and skylights to both reduce energy use and improve student achievement."

For more information about the facilities in the Riverside Unified School District contact: Jacquie Paul, Riverside Unified School District at 951-788-7135, ext. 80410 or jpaul@rusd.k12.ca.us.

"The condition of school facilities impacts teacher retention as well as student achievement," O'Connell said. "I applaud communities around our state that are supporting facility upgrades that will directly impact the teaching and learning environment. For example, the William S. Hart Union High School District in Los Angeles County completed two major, three-year modernization projects this summer and added new buildings at two other schools this year. This district is currently in the fourth year of yet another major modernization project with completion expected in the spring. All projects used proceeds from Measure V, a Proposition 39-enabled local school construction bond."

For more information about school construction in the William S. Hart Union High School District contact: Pat Willett at 661-259-0033, ext. 227 or pat_willett@hartdistrict.org.

"Lastly, in the Clovis Unified School District in Fresno, the district has completed more than a $1 billion in new and modernization construction projects since 1986, using bond, developer, and state funds," added O'Connell."Voters in the district were among the first in the state to embrace Proposition 39 and passed local bond measures that resulted in the recent opening of a new $160 million education complex and an elementary school."

For information about school construction in the Clovis Unified School District contact Kelly Avants at 559-327-9092 or KellyAvants@clovisusd.k12.ca.us.