Board reviews Measure X master facility planning; staff and consultants outline charrette process and prioritization

District staff and Jay Tittle of Little Diversified Architectural Consulting led a Measure X bond workshop on March 14 that walked trustees through a master facility planning framework and early prioritization recommendations.

Tittle described a four-part process—vision, discovery, create and present—and emphasized an interactive two-day charrette to develop three-dimensional campus solutions with community engagement. He urged the district to "begin with the end in mind" and said the charrette brings planners onto campus to sketch and refine ideas with staff, students and the community. (Jay Tittle, SEG 776'SEG 842)

The consultant offered construction-cost ranges for planning assumptions: a basic classroom building could start around $200 per square foot for hard costs while specialized facilities (for example, performing arts) could reach $500 per square foot; he said a typical allowance for soft costs is roughly 20 percent above hard construction costs. (Jay Tittle, SEG 1180'SEG 1324)

Trustees and staff discussed prioritization criteria (enrollment versus capacity, facility condition, program needs, percentage of non-permanent buildings) and the value of pursuing economies of scale by repeating designs across multiple campuses. Staff outlined a staged approach that places high schools and their associated middle schools near the top of the planning list because of district-wide student impact. Trustees proposed prioritizing Simi High, Royal High and Hillside as near-term planning targets and emphasized balancing large master-planning projects with ongoing smaller site projects that address urgent needs (security, HVAC, shade structures). (Staff, SEG 1640'SEG 1760; Trustee discussion, SEG 2466'SEG 2476)

On financing and schedule, staff said some projects in the C4 queue must be completed by late August to meet tax-attorney timing for Measure X issuance; they discussed bridging options (reimbursement of general fund for eligible work or internal loans) and said the district anticipates drawing Measure X funds in June if planning proceeds. Trustees urged staff to maintain project flow and avoid losing momentum while the first Measure X series is finalized. (Staff, SEG 2199'SEG 2239)

Board members asked staff to provide more granular condition assessments (SchoolDude) and percent-complete data on queued projects so trustees can see where bids, contracts and completions stand; staff agreed and said they will bring more detailed condition assessments and schedule projections for future meetings.