Summerville Elementary Facilities Planning
Planning Ahead for Future Generations
For generations, Summerville Elementary has had a strong tradition of providing a high-quality educational experience for local Tuolumne students. Our cherished school currently serves approximately 500 students in Transitional Kindergarten/Kindergarten through eighth grade and provides exceptional educational support in a loving, nurturing, community-based environment. As a school, we believe that “Together, we can make a difference!”
Our Aging School Requires Repairs and Upgrades
We are proud of the high quality of education at Summerville Elementary, but our facilities are aging and need repairs and updates. The current school was constructed in 1963 with additions made incrementally over the following sixty years. Because our beloved school is over 60 years old, it was designed for a different era of education. Basic repairs and upgrades are needed to continue to provide an exceptional educational environment to this generation of students and for generations to come.
Our maintenance team works hard to take care of our aging classrooms and school facilities by keeping up with necessary repairs and maintenance. Unfortunately, significant upgrades and capital improvements needed at our aging school are beyond what can be funded by our regular maintenance budget.
Summerville Elementary leadership is in the process of assessing all classrooms and other campus facilities to create a Facilities Master Plan, which will outline priority repairs and upgrades for our cherished school. The process involves a deeper assessment of the school site and gathering input from teachers, staff, parents, and Summerville Elementary board members to ensure the plan will provide our students with a safe and updated learning environment to help them be successful in their education journey.
Planning for the Future of Summerville Elementary
The facility improvements needed in our school are far beyond the scope of the current maintenance budget. Summerville Elementary board members are currently evaluating options for funding these improvements, including utilizing capital reserves in the school budget and accessing available State funds.
Additionally, another option utilized by many California school districts is to ask local voters to approve a school improvement bond measure to provide dedicated local funding through tax revenues for repairs and upgrades. Funding from a potential bond measure must be used to repair and improve Summerville Elementary School and cannot be taken away by the State or used for other purposes. A bond measure would require a detailed project list showing how funds are expected to be used, and an independent citizens’ oversight committee and annual audits to ensure funds are used as promised.
Your Input is Welcome
As Summerville Elementary leadership considers options for preparing our school for future generations of students, we welcome your input. To share your opinions and priorities or to ask questions, please contact Superintendent Ben Howell at Facilities@sumel.org.
Resources
Frequently Asked Questions: SummervilleSD_FacilityPlanning_FAQ.pdf