New Millennium High School Facilities "Bait-and-Switch"

Picture this. The State gives PVUSD $50 million for a new high school and what will we get? Row upon row of portable classrooms — like the ones at overcrowded schools.

So, what has happened to New Millennium High School, the one the Superintendent bragged "... will stand and deliver a world-class education through state-of-the-art facilities."

It has shrunk beyond recognition, with buildings and amenities cast aside like pedals from a flower during a round of "she loves me, she loves me not."

Last year, the Superintendent, in an effort to generate community excitement, proudly paraded a two-by-three foot, four color architectural rendering of a robust, full featured, New Millennium High School. It was a masterpiece.

But, what was going on quietly behind the scenes, in the back room, without even board trustees watching?

We are just now learning that many of the school's planned features never had a chance. Some were never even really planned at all, though they were indeed featured prominently in the masterpiece.

We are being told — and this is news — the real reason the school won't have its promised features is the money. Not the Coastal Commission. Not the site restrictions. But the money. You know, the free money from the State.

Apparently the state isn't giving us enough for the promised 500 seat Performing Arts Center, or the 300 seat Multi-purpose Room, or the 2000 seat Gymnasium, or two pools for swimming and diving, or a Football Stadium, or even one of two promised varsity-size Baseball Diamonds.

There isn't even enough money for a cafeteria, meaning students will eat their pizza outside with the competing aromas of garbage and manure that fill the air every day. Bon appetit.

The District simply can't afford these things. Sorry.

Those were all features the District promised in 1999, knowing exactly what to expect in the way of State funding and working with skilled architects who know what things cost. And now, two years later...WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY? Is someone picking the District's pocket? Or were these features promised knowing full well they could never be delivered?

Either way, this is not good.

The Superintendent reminds us that this will be a "hardship school." We can't expect pools and stuff at a "hardship school." Then, why did he advertise pools — two of them in fact — when they weren't going to be built. Where I come from that's "Bait and Switch." Sleazy salesmen are known to do that but it's against the law.

What the Superintendent doesn't like to talk about is the $3 million — or more — spent on non recoupable "bridge funding" charges, and the juggling of those loans that has caused the $10 million borrowed for the school in 1997 to completely evaporate. Then, there's the approximately $8 million required for grading. Sixteen to thirty percent of the entire construction budget will go for grading. Nice site!

Oh, and there's a little detail called the deed to the property. The District still doesn't have it. They budgeted $1.5 million but if it costs more — as expected — another building may have to go. It's not likely to be the Administration Building, however. That one has remained untouched, which tells a story in-an-of-itself. The District finds the comfort of its administrators of greater concern than that of teachers or students.

But there's something I still don't understand. If the District can't afford these buildings and amenities — and never could — why have the architects kept drawing them for the past two years?

And now, the only thing that could possibly make this project worse is the hoped-for expansion if the runway is someday extended. That would make the school even more impacted by the airport and even less safe than the present plan. More buildings and more students located right up to the very edge of a critical flight zone.

So, who have we to thank for this fiasco? The applause can't all go to the Superintendent. In 1999 the seven member school board was unanimous in its support for the project. Now that more is known, only five vote in it's favor. At least one of those admits privately, "it's a terrible place for kids." But the fear of losing funding, the desire to advance secession, and the unwillingness to admit to a mistake makes this project an acceptable boondoggle. Meanwhile two trustees try — against all odds — to convince the others that the students deserve better.

No one ever asked for a luxurious high school, but this has gotten ridiculous. Please, PVUSD don't do this to the people of Watsonville. They are nice people, polite and trusting. And they don't deserve this.

Peter Nichols is a writer and publisher of this web site. He also teaches Adult Ed. for P.V.U.S.D. His opinions do not reflect those of his employers, any print publication or of any site linking to this one.

© Peter Nichols, 2001