School board meeting to tackle facilities upgrades including artifical turf field

Going off the grid and a new turf field on the meeting agenda for tonight|

Will Sonoma schools go “off the grid”?

That’s among the burning questions Feb. 9, as the Sonoma Valley Unified School District board will hear updates on several major facilities upgrades. First up will be a presentation from Quattrocchi Kwok Architects on the possibility of upgrading the Adele Harrison Middle School soccer field to an artificial, all-weather surface in 2017. The proposed project includes a 125- by 75-foot synthetic turf field and a running pathway around the field.

The project would spend all of 2016 in various stages of design with a construction schedule that concludes in October 2017. The agenda presentation will provide a rough estimate of $1.6 million, with an additional 30 percent in soft costs on top.

Other projects under consideration with Quattrocchi Kwok include new gym flooring at both SVHS and Altimira Middle School and an upgraded bus drop-off circle at the high school.

The school board will also hear a proposal to literally take Sonoma Valley High School “off the grid.” Thanks to the success of the district’s solar project, Wooster Engineering will propose to the high school a possible “Microgrid” project for the site.

Sonoma Valley High currently is generating 40 percent more power than it consumes and the proposed project would generate more financial value from that overproduction.

The board will hear various advantages ranging from emergency readiness to the future-proofing of its solar investment. If the board chooses to move forward, this project would be slated to begin in early 2017.

The board will also hear an update on the activities of the Sonoma Valley FFA (no longer referred to as Future Farmers of America) and the progress to date of the high school’s new Sustainable Agriculture Academy. Also on the docket is an update on the changes planned to the Flowery Elementary School parking lot.

The most recent School Accountability Report Cards for each district school site will be presented to the board. The SARCs are available online at svusdca.org (under the “Curriculum & Instruction” tab). These report cards are produced by every public school in California and are updated annually and include information on standardized test results, instructional materials, per pupil expenditures and a dozen other metrics.

Other agenda items include El Verano Elementary School students of the year and a proposed increase in the rate of pay for substitute teachers.

The school board meeting is tonight, Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Meeting Room, 177 First St. W.

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