Architect: Oak Grove Needs $6.4 Mil to Modernize

An architect has identified $6.4 million worth of needs at Oak Grove Elementary.

Of that amount, $3.7 million would pay for the cost of replacing half of the portable classrooms with permanent buildings. Another $1 million would cover the cost of routine maintenance and repairs the district has put off over the years, including paint, roofing and paving.

The Capistrano Unified School District commissioned an intense study of all of its facilities in 2009. The report was created in 2009 and has recently been updated for 2013 pricing. The district is facing $822 million worth of needs and only has about $44 million on hand to address them.

The updated total also includes $900,000 for upgraded technology for students.

Oak Grove features an “open” design that was once popular with school architects that has since gone out of fashion because of noise issues. So part of the money will permanently close off classrooms.

The school requires some modification to its access for fire trucks, according to the architects. While there is access for firefighters, there is not enough room for a fire truck to turn around.

On the other hand, Oak Grove is one of only six Capo Unified campuses which meets California capacity laws for essential facilities, such as classrooms, toilets, drinking fountains, parking, library and administrative space.

Below is an easier-to-read legend for the photo above. New construction, which originally included replacing all the portables, is in peach, remodels in yellow:

1.      Acoustical separation

2.      Taller kindergarten gate

3.      New building (10 classrooms)

4.      New kindergarten (two classrooms)

5.      New play surface

6.      Americans with Disabilities Act upgrade

7.      New turf area expansion

8.      New conference room

9.      New rain gutters

10.     Fire truck turn around

11.     New music classroom

Find out the needs at other nearby schools:

• Aliso Niguel High School
• Aliso Viejo Middle School
• Canyon Vista Elementary
• Don Juan Avila Middle and Elementary schools
• Wood Canyon Elementary