Fact #10:

Despite certain school board members claiming that "everyone" wanted a gymnasium, most people in Hermosa Beach wanted classrooms to be given priority over building a gymnasium in 2002 when HBCSD passed their $13.6M Measure J bond.

NOTE: Prior to the November 2002 Measure J bond vote, school board members hired consultants Evans/McDonough Company to assess the communities attitudes toward a new bond. (See Item #4 below) They found that the majority of residents would NOT vote to pass a bond to build a gymnasium. Is that why school board members left building a gymnasium off the face of the bond that voters would consider?

NOTE: Was the real reason school board members made the gymnasium the priority of 2002 Measure J bond because of a quid pro quo with the City of Hermosa Beach to keep HBCSD out of the Community Center? Did certain community leaders decide that HBCSD needed a gymnasium so that the school district would not use the gymnasium two blocks away at the Community Center? Were school board members decisions actually about the students and our schools or were they really about a quid pro quo with the city? Did certain community leaders throw students and taxpayers under the proverbial bus to achieve their short-sighted goals?

(1) December 6, 2001 – Architects look at new gym, classrooms, by Robb Fulcher, Easy Reader News.

a. “Enrollment projections, while far from an exact science, suggest that the K-8 district could grow from 1,020 students to anywhere between 1,130 and 1,250 students within 10 years, according to the committee’s figures.”

NOTE:  Ten years after this article was written, HBCSD enrollment was 1,303 students.  School board members did not provide any additional classrooms with the $13.6 million facilities bond passed in November 2002.

 NOTE: In 2014-2015 school year HBCSD enrollment reached its high of 1,472 students.  According to the Sale and Purchase Agreement for Pier Avenue School, when enrollment surpassed 1,266 students, HBCSD had priority contractual usage of classrooms, office and storage space and use of the gymnasium and changing room, etc. at the Community Center.  This information was withheld from the public by school board members, Superintendent Pat Escalante, city council members and City Manager Tom Bakaly. During this time our city and school district leaders allowed Hermosa schools to be egregiously overcrowded while they held-out for a brand new $29 million dollar campus at North School.

b. “The new board members also have said the need for a gym should be weighed against anticipated needs for new classrooms and other facilities.”  (This did not happen.)

(2) February – April 2002 – HBCSD school board members, staff and architects from Dougherty and Dougherty hold community meetings regarding district facility needs.  Sampling of community letters sent to school board members and architects: 

a. Notes dated February 6, 2002 from Dougherty and Dougherty architects: “plan for growth first – gym second.”

b. Letter from Gordon and Betty Evans dated February 6. 2002: “I was a member of the Hermosa Beach commission that evolved Pier Avenue Junior High School into a community center.  It was our intent and understanding that the Hermosa Beach School district would always have the first right to the auditorium and gymnasium.  I have not heard this mentioned at any of the board meetings.”  See also Agreement for the Sale and Purchase of Pier Avenue School, Exhibit K: Lease Agreement for Future Use of Pier Avenue School.

c. Letter from James Hausle dated March 25, 2002: “In reviewing the notes from the last meeting, I was surprised to see that the first item in your list of considerations was still the gymnasium instead of classroom space.  I recall that during the meeting I attended that we said that they should be listed in reverse since the classroom space and school master plan was more than just “building a gym”.  You noted that the previous group, the facilities committee had made the same comment.”…

… “Student density levels current and future?  Current campuses are overcrowded.  Just increasing the density of the student population will not be a good solution for the community.”

d. Letter from Cary J. Bichlmeier dated March 25, 2002:  “Acquire more land.  This group wants a less dense campus than #1 and are willing to wait for it.  “Let[s] do it right, not fast”.”

e. Letter from Gabi Adler dated April 8, 2002: …” has any consideration to using part of the abandoned shopping mall structure on PCH (next to Vons) for a school gym?”

f. Letter from Beth L. Cross dated April 9, 2002: …”Let’s not allow [a] very vocal gym proponents to overshadow our primary educational goals.” … “Open space at Valley School is a priority to me.  I would love to see facilities expansion accommodated without encroaching on open space.” … “my child already feels crowds and waits in lines to participate in lunchtime play activities – this would be worsened with less open space.”

(3) April 11, 2002 – Minutes from the HBCSD Citizens Meeting held at View School: 

a. “Superintendent Duffy Clark spoke to Adelphia (now Spectrum) about selling their site.  But Adelphia said that they do not have any intention of selling because they just invested over one million dollars upgrading their cables/equipment.”

b. “PE teacher said that every inch of the open space is needed. Gym space is on top of the existing open space.” 

c. “Preliminary layout of the sketch presented includes space for gymnasium and six teaching stations located on the east side of [Valley School] campus.  The six teaching stations are in a two-story building with space for two future teaching stations on upper and lower floors.  The six teaching stations will cover 5-year projected growth and replacement of existing relocatables.  The additional four teaching stations for future will cover projected growth up to 10 years.  Existing parking would be redesigned to ease current pick-up and drop-off issues.  Five additional parking spaces will be gained with new parking layout.  Amount of green space will be maintained when [the] maintenance facility [is] move[ed] to the City’s yard.  Amount of black top (asphalt area) will be regained when the relocatables are removed. … “

CORRECT INFORMATION: No net new classrooms were built with Measure J funds. 

(4) June 2002 – Survey of voter attitudes toward the district’s planned facilities bond by Evans/McDonough Company, Inc.: 

First attempt at bond language:

Slide 5: “To modernize, repair and renovate Hermosa Valley and Hermosa View Schools, enhance technology capabilities, construct additional classrooms and student facilities, upgrade safety systems, upgrade electrical wiring, plumbing and mechanical systems, improve the safety of parking lots and energy efficiency, shall the Hermosa Beach City School District be authorized to issue 12 million dollars of bonds at legal interest rates, appoint a citizens’ oversight committee, and complete annual financial and performance audits with no proceeds used for administrator salaries or other school operating expense.”

a.      No mention of a gymnasium.

b.      No mention of acquiring land.  (See April 9, 2002 HBCSD Citizens’ Meeting minutes, item a.)

c.      Classrooms given high billing.

Slide 11: (Showing opinions given by supporters and opponents.)

“Opponents: The District does not really need this money.  The schools need some improvements but too much of the money will be used to build an unnecessary gymnasium at one of the schools.  It is not needed and will result in less green space around schools.”

Slide 15: District Project List ranked by district priority: 

a.      New classrooms/labs and facility enhancements are listed as low on the district’s priority list, however they are given high billing in the final bond language.

b. The Build/Modernize Classrooms and New Classrooms/Labs and Facility Enhancements are projected to cost $3,570,000 ($1,750,000+$1,820,000) – the highest expenditure of the project list; about 30% of the $12 million total estimate of projects.

c. A Gymnasium at Hermosa Valley is estimated to cost $2,225,000; about 19% of the $12 million total estimate of projects. According to the final Citizens’ Oversight Committee Report of 9/30/2009 the final cost of the gymnasium complex was $11 million out of a total $19.5 million spent.

d. The district’s project list does not include acquiring property adjacent to Hermosa Valley School, yet it is added to the final bond language with a cost of an additional $1.6 million to make the final bond amount $13.6 million.  No land is purchased to expand Valley School with Measure J funds.

Slide 18: District Project List Ranked by Voter Rating of Importance.

a.      New classrooms/labs and facility enhancements, providing additional interior gathering spaces, and expanding play fields/replacing fencing/site enhancements are rated as low priority for the school district, yet they are given top billing on both bond descriptions.

b. The gymnasium is listed as a Priority 1 item for HBCSD, but considered as low priority by voters.

c.      There is no mention of acquiring land in the district’s list of projects.

Slide 21: Key Conclusions: “Athletic facilities, specifically the new gym at Hermosa Valley, are not viewed as very important.”

NOTE: On both bond language examples (June 2002 and November 2002), classrooms are given high priority and the gymnasium is not mentioned.  While in reality the gymnasium is given highest priority by school board members.   Was leaving mention of the gymnasium off the final ballot really an oversight by the school district as was claimed by School Board member Lance Widman?  See Measure J bond language cited in the November 5, 2002 information.

NOTE: Even on the district's Exhibit B list of possible uses of Measure J, the gymnasium is listed forth from the bottom of page 2, giving the impression that it would NOT be the highest priority item for the district's $13.6M bond.

NOTE: No net new classrooms were built with Measure J $13.6M bond. The two classrooms built above the gymnasium replaced three classrooms torn down to build the gymnasium.

(5) November 7, 2002 – School bonds approved in a landslide, by Robb Fulcher, Easy Reader News.

a. “Hermosa voters overwhelmingly approved a $13.6 million school bond to revamp the city’s two aging public schools, build at least 13 new classrooms, acquire more land and build a gymnasium on the Valley School campus.”…

b. “The successful campaign was bolstered by a $27,500 war chest provided mostly by Dougherty + Dougherty architects of Costa Mesa, which has been employed by the school district to help prepare its renovation and expansion program, and UBS Paine Webber of Los Angeles, which is expected to assist in the sale of the bonds.” …

c. “Of the $13.6 million total, $3.8 million is to be set aside to acquire property now housing the Adelphia Communications cable TV company next door to Valley School.  Officials have said they are willing to use imminent domain to secure property.”… 

NOTE: At the April 11, 2002 Citizens’ Meeting Superintendent Dr. Duffy Clark stated that Adelphia (aka Spectrum) had just invested more than $1 million into upgrading their equipment at the site and were not interested in selling their property to the school district.  There is NO PROOF that school board members EVER considered purchasing the Adelphia site after voters passed Measure J.

d. “The bond is needed “to completely bring both schools up to the current standards of construction and technology, and to build the necessary classrooms to handle anticipated growth in the district,” school board President Cathy McCurdy said.”

NOTE: The 2002 Facilities Master Plan recommended that HBCSD supply 14 additional classrooms by 2012. Why did school board members decide to ignore their own Facilities Master Plan?

NOTE: School Board President Cathy McCurdy does not mention that building a gymnasium will be the district's highest priority. No net new classrooms were built with Measure J funds.