Building Schools for the Future –
Exemplary Educational Programs and Facilities for Our Children

From 1990 – 1999, the District’s average annual enrollment growth maintained a rate of 2.7%.  Growth began to accelerate in 2001 and grew to a rate of 15.4% over a 5 year period.  As the result, in October 2005 the Board of Education commissioned Enrollment Projection Consultants of San Mateo, to undertake a comprehensive study of District enrollment projections and community demographics.  Updated in October 2006, the report forecasted that the District would grow 15.7% by 2011 and 18% by 2014. 

Concurrent with the demographic study, the District conducted an overall assessment of all its facilities and campuses.  With our elementary school enrollment growing to over 1750 students in five years, the District was challenged to ensure that each school would have the necessary capacity at the right time to continue to provide exemplary educational services for its designated grade levels. In addition, since the passage of the 2000 and 2004 parcel taxes to reduce class sizes, a large number of students were being housed in inadequate temporary portable classrooms. Multipurpose facilities, originally built for much smaller school enrollment, were also deemed to be inadequate.

With considerable input from the School Community, the Board of Education determined that Hillview Middle School, a seven-time State Distinguished School and a National Blue Ribbon Awarded School, would be maintained as the single middle school for the District. To accommodate the projected enrollment growth at the middle school level, it was determined that either extensive construction on the existing middle school campus or the acquisition of a new school site to build a new middle school would be required.  After conducting an exhaustive search of possible new sites for the middle school without success, the Board of Education took preliminary action to direct that Hillview Middle School be rebuilt on its current site. 

To plan for the future and address existing facility shortcomings, the Board of Education authorized that Measure U, a $91 million facilities Bond, be placed on the June 2006 ballot. The Bond was approved by an overwhelming 70% of voters.

After the passage of Measure U, the District began an aggressive planning process that led to the October 2006 Board adoption of The Plan for Reconfiguration of the Elementary Schools.  The Plan was based on specific educational, logistical, operational and financial objectives and was intended to address the projected increase in school enrollment with a combination of new facilities, modernization of existing buildings and a revision of current school boundaries.

The District is proud to announce the release of the 2007-08 Community Report, focusing this year on the facilities development occurring in the District.

The PreSchool/Occupational Therapy Building and playground area (below) at Laurel School are complete! The building has been formally named "The Heritage Oak Children's Center".

Modernization progressing at Encinal on the F-Wing...