Hermosa Beach Facilities Planning Advisory Committee discusses Measure S

By Bari Cohn

Staff Writer

The Hermosa Beach Facilities Planning Advisory Committee discussed further plans for Measure S, the implementation of new, more modernized district facilities to reduce overcrowding in schools and improve the learning environment for students, during the April 20 Community Information about school facilities.

The meeting was lead by Hermosa Beach City School District President Dr. Mary Campbell, HBCSD Superintendent Patricia Escalante, and Isom Advisors Managing Principal Jon Isom. The meetings hope to provide community members the ability to be knowledgeable and familiar with the process as it occurs, before it is placed before the Hermosa Beach community members on June 7 for a final vote

“We hope the members of the community will gain an appreciation of the depth of work put into these meetings,” Escalante said. “There is a lot of collaboration, research and consultation with experts and the residents that has gone into placing a well thought out and responsible facilities bond program before the voters in June.”

The meeting began with a presentation which described the main plans for Measure S and the $59 million bond the district will need in order to pay for the new facilities. In addition to adding the North school, Hermosa Valley and Hermosa View schools, the two current schools in the city, will be modernized, with updated structures and increased security on campus each day.

If Measure S is passed, Kindergarten through second grade will be taught at the North School, third and fourth grade will be taught at Hermosa View, and fifth through eighth will be taught at Hermosa Valley. According to Escalante, this will help to ensure children in Hermosa Beach will remain competitive academically and that they can learn in schools that aren’t overcrowded, outdated and underfunded.

“Safe schools are a primary concern because we want to have a place where people are directed into a very easy way through one entrance,” Escalante said. “We will continue to consult with others to create even more ideas about safety in the schools.”

If voted on, the bond for Measure S will be a total of $59 million, and the proposed tax rate would be $29.50 per $100,000 of individual property assessed value. Strong support from the Hermosa Beach community will allow the district to deliver the school facilities solutions that will help to sustain the long history of education excellence in Hermosa Beach for the next generation, Campbell said.

“Similar to a home mortgage, you pay the fees once and then everything is closed off and in this case, the district would be able to deposit the money right into its construction fund,” Isom said. “There is a fixed interest rate on the bond, and now would be a ridiculously good time to lock in the rates because of how low they are, especially for a municipal agency such as the school district.”

If Measure S is passed, it is estimated to take around 2 years before the North School becomes certified. They will begin with an estimated 4-5 month design phase to begin the process, before awaiting approval and beginning the contracting and building phases. If Meaure S is approved, there will be an estimated 11 month period of time before it is finalized.

“My hope is that we will pass Measure S on June 7th with strong support from our community,” Campbell said. “Hopefully, we will be able to deliver the school facilities solutions that will help us to sustain our long history of education excellence in Hermosa Beach for the next generation.”