The Piedmont Highlander

The Student News Site of Piedmont High School

The Piedmont Highlander

The Piedmont Highlander

PUSD develops facility improvements plan

PUSD+develops+facility+improvements+plan

PUSD is planning to implement new facility changes at Piedmont schools, especially PHS and MHS, to help create a healthier learning environment for students.

Now that the district has finished the seismic strengthening of all the facilities and upgraded its technology infrastructure, the district is currently developing a Facilities Master Plan (FMP) to outline facility changes. The Board of Education will consider and approve the final FMP at their meeting on Feb. 10, 2016.

The FMP will help assess the current and future functionality of classrooms and facilities, compliance with accessibility and safety codes and classroom capacity for increasing enrollment, superintendent Randall Booker said in a speech to the Piedmont Board of Education.

“We do not just think about facilities, we do not just sit around a table and go, ‘You know, I really want to have a broadcasting studio,’” Booker said. “No… You have instructional goals that are pushing that.”

The Board of Education selected Quattrocchi Kwok Architects (QKA) to facilitate the development of the FMP. The architects, along with the PUSD Director of Facilities Pete Palmer and PUSD maintenance staff, have evaluated plumbing, electrical, heating, ventilation and other building systems at all of the district locations.

There is no current budget for the facilities upgrades, but it will come along with the proposed FMP. Once the budget is established, it would be up to the community and the board to decide how to fund the project, Booker said.

PUSD appointed Palmer on June 24 to supervise the maintenance staff, prepare and monitor the annual maintenance budget and schedule the use of school facilities. He will also consult with architects and contractors about PUSD buildings and grounds and manage the construction, modernization and relocation of any new or existing district facilities.

Palmer previously managed the renovation of Havens Elementary School and the seismic modernization and safety improvements to Ellen Driscoll Playhouse, Wildwood and Beach Elementary Schools, Piedmont Middle School and PHS’s 30s building and student center.

“The master plan will be driven by the curriculum,” Palmer said. “This is inline with preparing students for a 21st century economy and workplace.”

NewfacilitiesequipmentExamples of classroom updates include expanding facility space and equipment for classes like biotechnology and sports medicine. The district is also planning to re-evaluate classroom air conditioning and air management because many students and teachers have voiced concern over increasing temperatures in classrooms, said Booker.

Another new facility project incorporated in the FMP that will happen in the future is the implementation of a Low Impact Development area in front of the student center and current grass and planting areas throughout PHS. This will be funded by the Drought Response Outreach Program for Schools with a $650,000 grant from the California State Water Resources Control Board.

The project will be done through service learning projects, but a lot of the work is still being developed and cannot be disclosed, Palmer said.

Sophomore Kate Broening said she hoped that there would be more grass space for people to eat and more ramps for people with disabilities.

“I hope that they change something for everyone,” Broening said.

Currently, Booker and the team running the facility changes are working on developing educational specifications, or ed specs. These are standards detailing the size of and the amenities in classrooms, libraries, multipurpose rooms, gyms, outdoor spaces and offices. California’s Department of Education requires all school districts to adopt ed specs before undertaking new facility projects.

“The ed specs committee talks about what our instructional goals are, what we want to do, what kind of classes we want to offer and then at the end of the day, whether or not we have the facilities to support that,” Booker said,

PUSD’s ed specs committee consists of 30 teachers and administrators from the district. The committee and QKA plan to meet at least four times to develop the ed specs.

“We are talking about what our educational program is today, how we want to grow it, what else we want to do with it and where do we see ourselves going in the next couple of years,” Booker said.

Senior Stuart Ashford said that the campus needs more outdoor seating and he wants to see potted plants around the school to brighten up the atmosphere.

“It’s been awhile since we had changes,” Ashford said.

Booker has scheduled community site planning meetings at each school to discuss ed specs and the facility needs of each school. There will also be additional community meetings hosted by the Board of Education and PUSD staff. PHS will have its first site planning meeting on Oct. 26 from 3:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m..

“Any teacher, any staff member, any student and any parent can pile in and give their point of view as to what our facilities need: educational, heating, ventilating and air conditioning, whatever it might be,” Booker said. 

Donate to The Piedmont Highlander

Your donation will support the student journalists of Piedmont High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

More to Discover
Donate to The Piedmont Highlander