Fact #20:

HBCSD's stated "project objectives" listed in the Environmental Impact Report do NOT match the facts or the district's plan to rebuild North School. Several "project objectives" seem to be arbitrary and unnecessary.

North School Reconstruction Draft EIR

Hermosa City School District

7. Alternatives to the Proposed Project

Alternate 3d, Community Center. pages 7-8, 7-9

“Alternates 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d also fail to meet the following project objectives:”

(1)  “Relieve existing overcrowding at Hermosa Valley School and Hermosa View School.”

COMPETING INFORMATION:

1. HBCSD's own enrollment projections in 2016 and 2018 projected a decline in future enrollment in Hermosa Beach.

2. There weren't any new housing developments planned for Hermosa Beach which would bring in additional K-12 students to HBCSD.

3. According to the CA Department of Finance, which tracks California demographic data and makes projections for the future, K-12 enrollment was projected to decrease through 2060.

4. HBCSD enrollment consultants, Decision Insight, had stated that they only knew of ONE school district in all of California that was projecting increased enrollment. There was lots of evidence that the HBCSD overcrowding was only a temporary issue and did NOT necessitating building a brand new campus.

5.       Renovating and using (years ago) the Community Center or North School for HBCSD students would have immediately relieve existing overcrowding at Hermosa Valley School and Hermosa View School at minimal cost to taxpayers.

6. HBCSD school board members (Lance Widman, Greg Breen, Cathy McCurdy) did NOT follow the district's 2002 Facility Master Plan recommendations to supply 13 more classrooms by 2012. Instead they spent nearly $11 to build a gymnasium, library and two science classrooms that did not add any new classrooms to the district.

7.       HBCSD has had valid contractual provisions to use the Community Center since enrollment exceeded 1,266 students in 2010.  School board members chose to ignore their lease agreement for the Community Center.  Please see: Lie #1: Purposely misleading the public regarding HBCSD’s contractual provisions for use of classrooms, office and storage space at the Pier Avenue School/Community Center.

8.       North School is a grandfathered in campus, like View School and Valley School, and therefore is considered code compliant as is.  Please see: Lie #8:  Claiming that renovating historical schools such as Pier Avenue School or North School are very expensive and cost prohibitive.

9.        The City and the School District could have combined funds to renovate the Community Center or North School for Hermosa residents OR a small bond could have been passed by citizens to renovate either the Community Center or North School for students.

a. The City of Hermosa Beach allowed HBCSD to use four classrooms at South School for district offices from 2014 until 2020 for $1 dollar. HBCSD then used approximately $132,000 to update the four classrooms, then gave the classrooms back to the city in 2020.

b. HBCSD spent more than $1M dollars on temporary classrooms while it also withheld up to 26% of funds (more than $2M) from being spent on students and plant services.  The $1M spent on temporary classrooms did NOTHING to solve the overcrowding issues at Valley and View schools.  The seven additional temporary classrooms only added to the overcrowding on both Valley School and View School campuses.

c. The $1M spent on temporary classrooms and more than $2M in available reserves could have instead been spent years ago to renovate North School or the Community Center for students.  Renovating either North School or the Community Center for HBCSD students would have been a lasting improvement to community assets rather than short-term overcrowding solutions.

10.       If no state matching funds are used, then the CDE does NOT require districts to comply with Title 5 regulations.  “Most school construction and modernization projects utilize state funds and therefore require approval from the following three key state agencies: [CDE Title 5, the Division of State Architect (DSA) and the Office of Public School Construction (OPSC)]”

(2)  "Eliminate temporary, portable classrooms buildings at Hermosa Valley School and Hermosa View School."

COMPETING INFORMATION:

1.       Renovating the Community Center or North School for HBCSD students would have immediately relieve existing overcrowding at Hermosa Valley School and Hermosa View School which would allow the removal of temporary, portable classroom buildings at Hermosa Valley School and Hermosa View School.

2.       HBCSD has had valid contractual provisions to use the Community Center since enrollment exceeded 1,266 students 2010.  School board members chose to ignore their lease agreement for the Community Center.  Please see: Lie #1: Purposely misleading the public regarding HBCSD’s contractual provisions for use of classrooms, office and storage space at the Pier Avenue School/Community Center.

3.       North School is a grandfathered in campus, like View School and Valley School, and therefore is considered code compliant as is.  Please see: Lie #8:  Claiming that renovating historical schools such as Pier Avenue School or North School are very expensive and cost prohibitive.

4.       The City and the School District could have combined funds to renovate the Community Center or North School for Hermosa residents OR a small bond could have been passed by citizens to renovate either the Community Center or North School for students.

a. The City of Hermosa Beach allowed HBCSD to use four classrooms at South School for district offices from 2014 until 2020 for $1 dollar. HBCSD then used approximately $10,000 to update the four classrooms, then gave the classrooms back to the city in 2020.

b. HBCSD spent more than $1M dollars on temporary classrooms while it also withheld up to 26% of funds (more than $2M) from being spent on students and plant services.  The $1M spent on temporary classrooms did NOTHING to solve the overcrowding issues at Valley and View schools.  The seven additional temporary classrooms only added to the overcrowding on both Valley School and View School campuses.

c. The $1M spent on temporary classrooms and more than $2M in available reserves could have instead been spent years ago to renovate North School or the Community Center for students.  Renovating either North School or the Community Center for HBCSD students would have been a lasting improvement to community assets rather than short-term overcrowding solutions.

(3)  "Maximize the use of limited District funds."

COMPETING INFORMATION: HBCSD passed an unnecessary expensive $59M facilities bond in June 2016 by unethical and illegal means.   See the information on this website.  Is $59M considered "limited" funds? The district’s “limited” funds could be used to renovate both the Community Center AND North School for the public.  There is no need to rebuild North School in order to “Maximize” the use of “limited” District funds.

(4)  "Maximize the use of District-owned property."

COMPETING INFORMATION: 

Renovating North School would maximize the use of district-owned property as well as demolishing and rebuilding North School. If a larger, more expensive school is not needed due to stable and future declining enrollment, why build a bigger campus just to "maximize" district-owned property?

(5)  "Construct 21st century educational facilities with flexible outdoor and indoor learning spaces."

COMPETING INFORMATION:

What exactly are “21st century educational facilities” for 3rd and 4th grade students?  Was the new “21st century educational facilities with flexible outdoor and indoor learning spaces all that different from what was already available at North School, View School or the Community Center?  Why wouldn’t modernizing the Community Center or North School be sufficient to temporarily educate students?   Were those differences worth the district spending $29M and five years to rebuild North School or refuse to use the Community Center to immediately solve overcrowding at district schools?

(6)  "Construct new educational facilities and/or a new school that is safe and secure for students."

COMPETING INFORMATION:

Why couldn’t using the Community Center or renovating North School be made safe and secure for students?  Are the ONLY safe and secure schools NEW schools?  Both the Community Center and North School are built to Field Act seismically safe specifications and are considered safe for students as is. 

(7)  "Construct new educational facilities and/or a new school that uses energy efficiently and cost-effectively." 

COMPETING INFORMATION:

Why couldn’t renovating/modernizing the Community Center or North School be made energy efficient and cost-effective?  Are the ONLY energy efficient and cost-effective schools new schools?  Can’t solar panels be added to both the Community Center and North School?   Couldn’t HBCSD and the City of Hermosa Beach install LED light bulbs at both schools? 

Hermosa Beach has virtually year-round perfect weather – energy efficient heating and cooling are hardly a problem.  The main buildings at North School were designed/situated to allow the sea-breeze to provide natural air-conditioning.  Both the Community Center and North School have many large windows that can be opened to allow air and sunshine into the classrooms.