SALINAS >> Trustees with the Salinas Union High School District want more information on the construction progress of Rancho San Juan High School before deciding on an actual opening date.
During their regular board meeting on Tuesday, trustees heard a proposal from Superintendent Dan Burns to postpone opening the school until January 2019, as construction is severely delayed and it won’t likely be ready in time for the full 2018-19 school year.
But most of the trustees said they wanted to make sure the school could not be ready for an August opening before taking the next step.
“It’s not a good idea to open a school in the second semester with 320 kids,” Trustee Phillip Tabera said Wednesday. “What we’re trying to do is find out if we can get up to speed. Yes or no, then proceed with a full opening.”
Trustees found out in mid October that the fifth comprehensive high school in the district, Rancho San Juan, faced several months delay due primarily to the rain. According to architects and contractors, the delay could prevent the school from opening until October 2018 or even December, but trustees approved the hiring an independent consultant to give another opinion on when the school can actually be ready.
Burns gave another report about the status of the school on Tuesday during the regular board meeting. In his 15-slide presentation, the superintendent explained that the school was originally scheduled to be completed in May and that the general contractor has asked for 54 days of delays due to rain. He also explained the role of the Division of State Architecture, which provides oversight for school construction and has to approve all materials to be used down to the smallest of screws. Without approval by the DSA, construction cannot proceed.
Burns also explained the process involved in opening a new school: teachers and support staff need to be hired, families need to be notified of which school their children will attend, furniture needs to be purchased, a school mascot needs to be adopted.
“The board shared their concerns about a mid-year opening,” Burns said. “Opening up mid-year could create a lot of confusion and organizational issues… The majority of the board wants to make sure the community understands that the school (will open) when it’s safe and ready for students.”
Claudia Meléndez Salinas can be reached at 831-726-4370.
