If approved, Ballot Measure 22-165 would make improvements at every school in the District. It would also add new classrooms to accommodate growth and relieve current overcrowding.
The bond would fund the first phase of a replacement of West Albany High School school. Architects would design the complete project, and phase two would be part of a later bond proposal.
West Albany High School, built in 1953, is aging and is not suitable for today’s educational requirements. Phase 1 would include constructing a new commons, auditorium, performing arts classrooms, eight regular classrooms for vocational/technical programs.
Those pieces make up a little less than half of the overall replacement for the entire high school campus.
West Albany High School has had 10 major additions or renovations since it was constructed. The quality of the original construction is lower than many buildings that are much older and still serve a useful purpose, such as Central Elementary School.
The proposed school construction projects will be funded with bonds sold in two separate series. Half of the bonds will retire after ten years, and the other half will retire after twenty years.
The community will have an opportunity to approve additional capital projects without increasing taxes after the first series of bonds retire in 10 years. If that is the case, projects could include completing the entire West Albany High School replacement project in 10 years and with only one more phase.
See photo gallery of West Albany High School in the Democrat-Herald.