Master Facilities Planning
San Rafael City Schools has launched a new website for our current bond program, which is funded by Measures A & B!
This new website will be the go-to resource for updated information on the bond program.
Click here to visit the new website!
Notice of Preparation of an environmental impact report for the SRHS Campus
San Rafael City Schools is preparing an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed expansion and reconstruction at the San Rafael High School campus located at 185 Mission Avenue. The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires that the District conduct environmental review of the project, which has the potential to result in physical change in the environment.
The District has determined that an EIR will be the required CEQA document for the project. The District is issuing a Notice of Preparation (NOP) to invite comments on the scope and content of the EIR prior to its preparation. Click here to download the NOP.
Responses to this NOP and any related questions or comments regarding the scope or content of the draft EIR must be directed in writing to: Dr. Dan Zaich,San Rafael City Schools, 310 Nova Albion Way, San Rafael, CA 94903 or by email todzaich@srcs.org. Comments on the NOP must be received at the above mailing or e-mail address by Sept. 14, 2016 at 5 pm.
A scoping meeting will be held in the SRHS Library on Sept. 13, 2016 at 6 pm.
Improving our School Facilities
Board Takes Action on Implementing Bond Funds;
Site Projects, Schedules and Budgets Identified
Summary
At its recent meeting, the Board of Education received an update on SRCS' Capital Facilities Program after a busy past few months of community workshops and conversations on improving our school facilities. Click here to view the presentation.
At the meeting:
- The Board adopted the eight-year program maps for each district, which identify the projects, schedule and budgets for the program.
- Additionally, the Board approved the first phase of implementation for each district, which allows SRCS to begin detailed project design and planning for implementation for the next two years of the programs.
Creating the Foundation Thanks to
Support from the San Rafael Community
The San Rafael City Schools Board of Education approved a District-wide Master Facilities Plan (MFP) in July 2015. The MFP was developed collaboratively over more than 18 months with school community engagement and included identification of needs and envisioning of capital improvements at all schools within the Elementary and High School Districts. The MFP identified approximately $273 million in need for the ESD and $181 million in need for the HSD .
In November 2015, the San Rafael community overwhelmingly supported Measures A and B to improve our school facilities. Measure A provides approximately $108 million to fund updates in the ESD and Measure B provides approximately $161 million for the HSD.
Building the Capital Facilities Program with Community Input
As part of the next steps to implement the MFP and the bond funds, SRCS hosted a series of community workshops to establish the District-wide priorities and timeline. More than 200 people attended the three community workshops that took place throughout March 2016.
The workshops provided opportunities for the District to solicit input and feedback to inform the development of the implementation plans, with the goal of developing plans that reflected the project priorities identified by the community. In addition to the workshops, online feedback surveys, feedback forms and follow-up meetings at sites provided additional community-generated information on priorities and needs.
Using the input generated, staff and consultants were guided by the community priorities in creating several program scenarios showing project scope, schedule and budgets. These test scenarios were then presented as program maps for feedback and comments, and then made further revisions were made to the program maps.
Diving into the Program Details
The process of gathering input from the school community and District leadership resulted in a program map for each district for the Capital Facilities Program work.
The program maps establish and illustrate a general outline of prioritized projects, budgets and schedule. Additionally, based on currently available and anticipated funding, the program maps balance estimated revenue and expenditures, projecting cash flow and projecting management costs, escalation and contingencies. Detailed cost estimates and schedules will need to be developed, monitored and adjusted throughout the program. It is vital that the District leadership and Board revisit the program maps' scope, schedule and budget at regular intervals to update and reflect any fluctuations in estimates for revenue, costs and escalation.
| Click here for information on the site projects. |
Preparing for Next Steps
Detailed project design and planning for implementation will soon begin for the next two years of the program. Project teams, including architects, engineers, project and/or construction managers and others will be identified. Critical to the success of the site work is collaboration with the school communities on project designs and details. Students, teachers, staff, parents and community members will give feedback to the project teams, primarily though site facilities committees.
Throughout May 2016, we hosted a series of community workshops to build the ESD and HSD bond program maps together. Learn more below!
RECAP: Workshop #3
Third Workshop Held on School Facilities:
Gathering Feedback on Revised Program Maps
Consensus Program Maps Presented;
More than 130 in Attendance
The focus of the workshop was on revised program maps for the Elementary School District and High School District. The program maps are the roadmaps for the District to implement its Capital Facilities Program, which is funded by the November 2015 bond measures. Input from previous workshops had informed the refinement of the plans, and updates were shared with the community for further discussion.
The presenters highlighted that the recommended program maps must:
- Balance the budget (revenue ~ expenditures)
- Respond to community-identified priorities
- Be flexible for fluctuations in enrollment, while meeting current overcrowding needs
- Stagger program and functions
- Include management, soft costs, contingency and escalation
- Fit in about eight years
- Account for swing space and sequencing
- AND: Lift achievement for every student, every day
In small groups, the workshop participants reviewed the plans and discussed if they were ready to recommend the program maps move forward to the Board of Education for consideration, so the District can begin implementing the Capital Facilities Program.
In follow up to the workshop, school site meetings were held at Short Elementary School and Venetia Valley School. Parents, teachers, staff, students, Board members and District administrators attended these meetings to continue discussing the plans.
As part of the next steps, the program maps and implementation plans will be presented for consideration at the next Board of Education meeting on Monday, April 18 at 6:00 pm at the District Office Board Room.
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Recap: Workshop #2
Second Workshop Held on School Facilities:
Gathering Feedback on Test Program Map Scenarios
Test Scenarios for Implementation Discussed
The focus of the second workshop was on program map options for implementing the Master Facilities Plan. Leading up to the workshop, input on priorities shared at the first workshop and via the online surveys was compiled and analyzed, and then test program map scenarios were built based on the priorities.
At the workshop, the prioritization results were shared with the participants, and schematic test scenarios for implementing the master plan for the High School District and Elementary School District were presented and discussed in groups. The participants evaluated the scenarios against the prioritization criteria that had been identified and analyzed and gave feedback on the advantages and disadvantages of the scenarios.
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Recap: Workshop #1
First Workshop Held on School Facilities:
Gathering Feedback on District-wide Priorities
Priorities and Parameters for the Program
The focus of the first workshop was on priorities and parameters. Presenters shared information on revenue constraints and compliance limitations, as well as a recap of the Master Facilities Planning process, all of which inform how we schedule the facilities work at our schools. A sample program map was shared to help illustrate what we aim to develop for both the Elementary and High School Districts by the end of the workshops.
The larger part of the workshop was centered around participants, in small groups, discussing and establishing District-wide priorities to help prioritize the work for the implementation plan. Criteria that are "givens" were presented, and the participants were asked to share their feedback and ranking on other priorities.
- Click here to view the presentation from Workshop #1.
- Click here for a video recording of Workshop #1.
Share Your Feedback
If you weren't able to attend the first workshop, there is still an opportunity to give your input on the District-wide priorities!
District-wide Workshops on Facilities in March
In November 2015, the San Rafael community overwhelmingly supported Measures A & B to improve our school facilities! The funds from these measures allow us to begin implementing our District-wide Master Facilities Plan (MFP) - SRCS' roadmap of improvements to move our school facilities into the 21st Century.
As the next steps to implementing the master plan, SRCS is developing its Capital Facilities Program. Your input is critical to this process as we move into the next steps to establish the priorities and timeline, which make up the program map and implementation plan for each district.
Throughout the workshops, there will be opportunities for feedback from stakeholders, and then options will be developed and brought forward that reflect and capture the criteria and input received. The workshops build on each other (each workshop will have different content), so your engagement throughout the series will be appreciated! The process will lead to updated implementation plans for the Elementary and High School Districts being presented to the Board this spring.
Though the workshops will be hosted at various school locations, they are intended to be District-wide meetings and are not specific to the host site and build on each other.
Learn More: Call 415-492-3233 or email superintendent@srcs.org
Measures A & B Pass
San Rafael City Schools recently completed its Master Facilities Planning (MFP) process. The MFP is a roadmap of improvements that is intended to provide safe, well-maintained classrooms, labs, libraries/media centers and instructional technology that support a modern education and reduce overcrowding in our schools.
In November 2015, the San Rafael community passed Measures A & B, which will fund a portion of the master plan.
- Measure A, the District's $108 million bond measure to fund updates to our elementary and middle schools, passed on Nov. 3 with 100 percent of precincts reporting, receiving 66 percent of the vote.
- Measure B, the District's $161 million bond measure to fund updates to our high schools, also passed on Nov. 3 with 100 percent of precincts reporting, receiving 67 percent of the vote.
The measures needed a 55 percent majority to pass. Click here to read more.
Please explore this webpage to learn more about the master plan.
Board Approves Master Plan
At a special study session on July 27, 2015, the Board of Education approved the District-wide Master Facilities Plan. Click here to download the approved Master Facilities Plan.
April 2015 UPDATE
At a Master Facilities Planning Board study session on April 1, the Board and architects reviewed and discussed the process to date, draft site master plans, preliminary program costs and potential cost reduction and prioritization. Click here to view the presentation.
Assessment Reports
In the spring of 2014, the architects met with department staff in order to understand and identify needs across the District. Additionally, the architects conducted meetings at every school throughout the spring that included site administrators, teachers, counselors, classified staff, parents and community members to determine, from a site perspective, what was working well and what were some of the challenges that the current or existing facilities created. In addition, the architects walked every school site and looked into every room and every building on each facility to complete site inspections. The architects used what they learned to create a needs assessment for all of the SRCS District-owned facilities. Click the site names below to view reports.
In the fall of 2014, the Board received an update on what the planning team has been doing, where they are and what comes next. They also identified some big questions to move the work forward. Click to view the report.
ESD Master Executive Planning Committee
As the architects have worked to develop design options for several SRCS schools, they are focusing on several questions that needed to be answered through an Executive Facilities Committee for six of the existing schools in the Elementary School District.
The questions related to:
- How big or how many students can a K-5 campus be designed to hold?
- How big or how many students can a 6-8 campus be designed to hold?
- How is the K-8 program working?
The results of these meetings and conversations were presented to the Board of Education on Monday, January 26. Review the report here.
Visioning Meetings
The next step in the process is for the architects to meet with staff, students, parents and members of the community for visioning meetings consisting of one or more schools. The meetings are an opportunity for the SRCS community to review and provide feedback on design options for several of our growing schools.
The first round of sessions for took place at the end of 2014. Click the school name below to view the options that were presented.
Visioning meetings for schools are scheduled for early 2015. The meeting details are included below.
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