Measure G construction begins, issues arise

Measure G construction is causing problems throughout the district in terms of parking and other issues, and is not running on schedule.

Measure G passed in Castro Valley June 7, 2016 and CVUSD made immediate plans to update and renovate many of the campuses in the district. The high school specifically was to receive $45 million of the $123 million in bonds to improve its campus.   

Last school year The Olympian wrote an article about what the plans were for Measure G construction, and the school is already slightly behind schedule.

“Things are not going as quickly as they thought it would be. The plan was to start at the beginning of May, end of June. A lot of it didn’t start until a couple of months later, so they are still in the portable building phase,” said Assistant Principal Patrinia Redd, who oversees the construction.

Portables are currently being installed in the 500 parking lot, and will be installed on the lower baseball/softball field, close to the 900 hallway.

The main issue students and teachers are facing is limited parking spots. Teachers and staff are getting spots that used to be reserved for students, while student parking is being reduced significantly. The only student parking lot that exists currently is the Redwood lot. Many of the visitor and district office spots have been converted to staff parking.  However the school is considering other options in terms of student parking.

“One of the parking lots, pending approval, will be the Redwood Chapel, which is right across the street on Redwood Road. The other, which is a little farther, is the old Castro Valley library. In total we could be gaining 45 more spots for student parking, ” said Redd.

Administrators are still considering pricing of these off-campus spots, specifically regarding the Castro Valley library spots. Parking spots on campus cost $50 for a semester. The price for student cars in these off-campus lots might be lower.

In terms of the physical construction itself, some minor lighting repairs have taken place in the 100 building, but major construction from the Giroofers roof contractor has yet to start. Some major projects that are set to take place in the new 400 and 500 buildings include a second floor to the 400 building, air conditioning systems, and a Health and Wellness Center in the middle of these two buildings.

According to the latest schedule, teachers in the 400 and 500 will have to move out by spring break at the latest, according to Redd, and construction of these hallways is set to take a year.

Many students and staff have some questions and concerns about what the upcoming construction will bring about. One issue administrators have yet to consider is regarding student lockers in the hallways that will be under construction.

“It would be really nice to have a firm sense of when we are moving because even things down to ‘should I put this up on the wall’ are affected. I know I will be happy when the construction is done,” commented Anne Parris, an English teacher whose classroom is in the 500 hallway.

Redd concluded by saying, “You see things actually starting to happen, but when the whole job is completed, this school will look very different.”

For frequent updates about Measure G regarding various construction work projects and financial plans, visit the Measure G page on the CVUSD website.