Measure S Updates
Here are the future plans for the bond money
In 2016, people across OUSD voted to pass the Measure S bond promising tax money to fund updates to the outdated school utilities. Over the past few decades little change has been made to El Modena, so there are high expectations.
New science labs were the top priority of voters according to the ballot. Due to the age of the buildongs, the current labs do not benefit the students a great deal. So Phase I of the Measure S renovations will be to build a new science building between the quad and the baseball field.
The district has hired an architectural firm for each school in OUSD. At this point, only planning and designing has been accomplished. The logistics must be ironed out; traffic flow of students, safety, etc. However in early 2019, they will break ground.
Renovations are currently thought to take around a year and a half to two years. Unfortunately the current juniors and seniors won’t be around to utilize the new resources.
Although the pool is currently under renovation and Fred Kelly will be too, this is not part of the Measure S funds. El Modena has been putting money aside for years from the Board of Education’s facility and maintenance funds.
After the science building is complete, there will still be additional tax dollars available.
Priorities will need to be set after discussing with students, faculty, and the community about which programs or buildings need the funds.
The new principal will play an integral role in communicating the needs of El Mo and the district, while at the same time considering the curb appeal of the school. Interim principal Mrs. Richards says, “Around the community, the talk about El Mo is we’re a lot better than we look.”
Hopefully after the changes are made, El Modena will visually reflect its already excellent atmosphere.
