asb THE PROSPECTOR
PHOTOESSAY: Unnoticed notices
FEATURES: A closer look at the group of students that make many of the school’s decisions CUPERTINO HIGH SCHOOL’S
Volume 51 No. 8
10100 FINCH AVENUE, CUPERTINO, CA
MAY 28, 2010
New designs for fields unveiled Delayed construction due to weather set to continue NATALIE HOANG sports editor
B
COURTESY OF FUHSD
y the beginning of the school year in 2011, the school’s track and field renovations will be complete. The athletic areas will sport a full size soccer field, reconstructed weight room, new P.E. classrooms and training rooms, an all weather track, efficient field lights and bleachers with handicap accessibility. Due to the extent of the demolition and building, architectures and district members have held weekly meetings for a year, discussing the topics of designs, costs, laws and scheduling. Costs of this project are not yet set in stone, though Associate Superintendent Glenn Evans estimates six million dollars to cover the electric utilities as well as accessibility for the handicapped, providing ramps and wheelchair lifts and also covering security for fences, lighting and alarms. Said Evans, “Another five million is estimated for the visible improvements for athletics, P.E. and band, including artificial turf, sod, dugouts, batting cages, goals, storage buildings, equipment and portions of the grading and utility work”. The construction allows the track and field to withstand the wear and tear of athletic and band activities, as well as the ever unpredictable weather. Said athletic director Craig Ellegood, “We’re doing this to improve our fields, athletic programs and the experience that we can give our athletes and our physical education students.” However, our school is not the only one receiving this make over. The Fremont Union High School District is at work improving the athletic landscapes of all five high schools in the district. Our school, along with Fremont, Homestead, Lynbrook and Monta Vista High School’s reconstruction schedules have been staggered in order to have the least possible disruption of athletics and physical education activities. With so much remodeling, the construction was strategically planned in order to avoid an incident where an area of the track or field is unusable during its particular sports season. There are no ways of avoiding the expectation that the field will be complete in time for the class of 2011’s graduation. However, the details of where the graduation ceremony will be head will be planned in the following school year, The extensive planning for schedules, costs, and convenience were discussed often, though no amount of preparation could change the unexpected heavy rains of last winter. Architects as well as the school board planned for the completion of the project to be in early 2010, until the weather got a hold of the schedule.
DESIGN PLANS | School board and architects aim to complete the new fields, track and bleachers by of July 2011
AMAR KANTIPUDI
Measure B passes, school programs remain intact ANA DRAGOJEVIC news assistant
Recently, through the mutual efforts of administration, staff and students, the Fremont Union High School District parcel tax, Measure B, was passed by voters in order to secure money for FUHSD schools to be able to maintain comprehensive high school programs. The purpose of Measure B was to renew the existing parcel tax that the district already has. The current tax was set to expire in June 2011. The current tax requires homeowners within the FUHSD area to pay 98 dollars for each parcel that their house is on (most houses lay on one parcel). This tax has existed for the past five years. The purpose of the new parcel tax is to extend the time period for which homeowners will pay this tax; however, they will still continue to pay 98 dollars per year. For the parcel tax to pass, it was necessary to get a majority of 67% of “yes”
votes. In the most recent election the bond passed with 72.4% “yes” votes. The District will now receive 5.2 million dollars each year. This money will create stability within each school’s budget. Currently, our schools receive funding from the state and from local property taxes, both of which are variable. When the economy goes down, less money is given by the state; when houses become worth less, there is less property tax revenue for the schools. The parcel tax, however, creates a steady base to build from. It allows the school to maintain AP and honors classes, after school programs such as sports and additional programs. It helps prevent the school from having to cut classes or programs, such as AP courses, allowing it to maintain numerous opportunities for students. The district took a practical, well thought-out approach to informing voters about the tax; students and staff participated in precinct walks and went door to door informing voters about the
tax. They held phone banks multiple nights and sent information to families to inform them of what the tax is and how it may benefit our schools. “I was really impressed and grateful for the work that our staff and our teaching staff put in as well as a number of kids who came out to do phone banking and walks. We could not have been successful in this effort without those individuals,” said Mrs. Tomberlain. With the help of students and staff, the effort to pass the tax was a success. The school will now receive enough money to maintain the existing programs we currently have. Despite the tax, the school will still need to make cuts between three to five million dollars. If the tax had not passed, the school may have had to make a ten to eleven million dollar cut instead. While the money allocated from the tax will not be able to add any new programs or classes at this time, it will help the school keep what it has now.