By: Richard Montenegro Brown | Original Article at pe.com
s it stands today, Beaumont schools are meeting the space needs of their students. Within the next five years, that won’t be the case, school officials say.
Beyond five years, projections of student population show the problem of finding desks even more serious, requiring up to four elementary schools, a new middle school and an additional high school be built with funding sources yet to be completely identified.
By 2021-2022, the district estimates it will be short more than 880 elementary school seats – how the district measures capacity – among its six sites. Further down the road, officials say, that shortage increases to more than 6,400 student seats across elementary, middle and high schools.
“We are struggling with facilities right now because we are in growth mode,” Beaumont Unified School District board President Susie Lara said Tuesday.
Beaumont Unified officials brought together parents, state representatives and other community stakeholders Tuesday to communicate what the district is facing as it considers an action plan to secure land to build schools, deal with the layers of government bureaucracy and find funding.
Among those in attendance to discuss the issue were Beaumont-area state representatives, Sen. Mike Morrell, R-Rancho Cucamonga, and Assemblyman Chad Mayes, R-Rancho Mirage.
BEAUMONT BOOM CONTINUES
Beaumont was the sixth-fastest growing city in the state this year, according to the Department of Finance’s January projections, increasing in population by 4 percent over the previous year to 42,481 residents.
To put that in historical perspective, Beaumont had a population of nearly 11,400 in 2000 and nearly 37,300 in 2010, according to U.S. Census data.
City officials estimate developers will continue to build homes at a rate of about 100 units per year.
With growth not projected to slow anytime soon, the district knows it needs at least two new elementary schools within five years, said Ben Dolinka, president and CEO of Dolinka Group LLC
Dolinka Group LLC was hired by the district to prepare a facilities and funding action plan for the immediate five-year window and what to expect beyond that.
The district has land now, but it’s not the right size and not in the right locations for where the growth is anticipated, he said.
There are a number of funding sources already to accomplish some of this, according to Dolinka Group’s study, including just over $20 million available from a $125 million voter-approved bond measure from 2008.
There are nearly $10 million in developer fees from new homes and $24.3 million of projected developer fees based on planned homes.
And, Dolinka said, there could be $15 million to $17 million if the district goes back to the voters for additional bond funding.
Beyond that, he said, there is more uncertainty. For what Dolinka calls a comprehensive high school alone, the cost could be as high as $150 million.
WHAT MUST HAPPEN
Dolinka has recommended the district undertake simple tasks like throwing its support toward statewide school bond measures on the November ballot as well as to lobby alongside the local educational community for future redevelopment money.
But, he said, more heavy lifting is needed. The district’s finance team needs to begin preparing bonds from the 2008 measure and negotiate with home developers for land purchases and agreements to help deal with growth.
There also is the issue of state regulations impeding the school building process. Dolinka’s study showed it takes as long as three years, on average, to start construction on a school – site approval takes 18 months; facility approval takes 15 months and construction approval takes five months.
“We’re on the same page with you,” Morrell said. “We have to cut through that regulation.”
Mayes spoke of the environmental regulatory process that holds up construction: “It’s unfortunate that our schools can’t get (California Environmental Quality Act) exemptions, but our sports arenas can.”
Morrell added that Inland representatives – primarily Republicans – are working together to raise concerns in a number of areas, including education issues.
“We do know that our area gets shortchanged,” he added, referring to school funding and regulatory relief.
Maureen Latham, Beaumont Unified superintendent, said the struggles the district faces are complex and cover a lot of areas, but that was the point behind the study session.
“I think our goal of having elected officials aware of our challenges was accomplished,” she said.
“There’s no one thing that can be separated from the entire challenge,” Latham added. “That is why this was so important … to hear all the challenges.”