After being approved by voters nearly 4 years ago, Measure GG funds are finally going to have some real-world effects. Various construction projects are starting pre-construction planning this April for the 21 schools across the Inglewood Unified School District.
Bond Measure GG, which was approved by more than 86 percent of the voters during the Nov. 6, 2012 election, provided a $90 million general obligation bond for new construction and modernization projects throughout the district. The creation of the bond took into account the district’s safety expectations, enrollment trends, class size, and the high demand for improved technology within each school.
Each school within IUSD will be slated for major improvements in the coming years with new facilities, equipment, and an overall facelift to some of the district’s oldest schools – some of which have been around for nearly 90 years.
The scope of work has been outlined in the IUSD School Facilities Master Plan document with construction plans focusing on four categories: school site health, safety and security projects; school renovation, repair, upgrades and construction projects; district-wide wiring and technology for instructional support and effective learning environments; and miscellaneous projects.
The School Facilities Master Plan document lists its priorities to include, but are not be limited to: repairing/replacing leaky roofs and inadequate electrical and plumbing systems; modernizing, renovating, and constructing classrooms, restrooms, and school facilities; the construction of new science and computer labs, replacing portable classrooms with permanent classrooms; and making energy efficiency and health and safety improvements a priority.
Though the bond measure was approved in 2012, the district and tax payers will now see pre-construction start this April with direct input from community members.
According to the Master Plan, IUSD pre-construction scheduling will take a minimum of 18 months with four phases: programming, design, review and approval from the Division of State Architect (DSA), and bids for construction.
During the first phase, each school site will be reviewed with input from the district and community for ideas on what construction improvements can and should be done to achieve the best results.
Public input is always welcome as community meetings will be scheduled in May and June at the following local IUSD school sites:
- Worthington Elementary School
- Payne Elementary School
- Monroe Middle School
- Morningside High School
- Inglewood High School
Residents should also note that other improvements – not just Measure GG construction – are on target for this summer. The IUSD construction schedule currently includes roof replacement projects that will begin in June with a planned completion date set in November, along with LAWA (Los Angeles World Airports) noise abatement projects which are positioned to begin this winter.
So when you drive by a local school in the Inglewood Unified School District over the next few months that’s not just the sound of construction you’re hearing- it’s also the sound of your tax dollars working hard to improve your community schools.
