ACUSD Facilities & Projects

FACILITIES & PROJECT INFORMATION

Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for School Closure/Consolidation Project

UPDATE: The school board voted to approve a 15-day extension at the January 17th board meeting. The review period will now remain open through February 13, 2024.

Lead Agency: Amador County Unified School District

Project Applicant: Amador County Unified School District

Notice of Preparation Review Period: Friday, December 15, 2023 to Wednesday, February 13, 2024.

Notice is hereby given that the Amador County Unified School District (District or ACUSD), as Lead Agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), has prepared an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the School Closure/Consolidation Program Project (proposed project) pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21165 and the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines (CEQA Guidelines). The purpose of this notice is (1) to serve as a NOA of a DEIR pursuant to the CEQA Guidelines Section 15087, (2) to receive comments on content of the DEIR, and (3) to provide notice of a public informational meeting regarding the DEIR.

Public Review Period and Document Availability: The District welcomes input and comments on the DEIR. The DEIR is available for a 45-day public review period beginning December 15, 2023 and ending January 29, 2024. If you are commenting on behalf of an agency or organization, please indicate a contact person for your agency or organization. Copies of the DEIR are available for review at (physical locations during normal business hours):

ACUSD Office
217 Rex Avenue
Jackson, CA 95642

Pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21092(b)(1), all documents referenced in the DEIR are available for inspection at the address above as well as linked below.

Public Comments: The District will accept written comments regarding the DEIR and this notice through the close of business on January 29, 2024. Please send your written comments to Jared Critchfield, Deputy Superintendent, Business Services, at ACUSD, 217 Rex Avenue, Jackson, CA 95642; or by e-mail at CEQAcomments@acusd.org.
Please send your responses and comments with the subject heading “School Closure/Consolidation Program Project” and include the name, phone number, and e-mail address of a contact person in all responses submitted.

More Information: Questions concerning the matter should be directed to Jared Critchfield, Deputy Superintendent, Business Services, at 209-257-5345 or CEQAcomments@acusd.org.

School Consolidation

On May 24th, 2022, the Amador County Unified School District Board of Trustees voted to approve school consolidation, which will combine our two high schools into one consolidated high school and our two junior high schools into one consolidated junior high school. As part of this plan, Ione Elementary School will move to the current Ione Junior High campus once the junior high schools have consolidated.

In May of 2023, the district started an environmental impact study and traffic study following the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This study, conducted by CEQA consultant PlaceWorks, is a county-wide study to create a complete picture of the environmental and traffic impacts of consolidation. This study is expected to be completed in November of 2023 which will then allow the district to create a plan to mitigate any impacts.

When making the decision to consolidate in May of 2022, the Board of Trustees emphasized the importance of sustaining the six current elementary schools. Jackson, Ione, Sutter Creek, Plymouth, Pine Grove, and Pioneer elementary schools will all remain open with some modifications. Ione Elementary will move locations to the current Ione Jr. High campus while welcoming back 6th-grade students. Jackson Elementary will also welcome back 6th-grade students, which means all elementary schools in the district will educate transitional kindergarten (TK) through 6th grade. In the future, Sutter Creek Primary will move to the Sutter Creek Elementary campus unifying the school to one location.

Through consolidation, course offerings at our junior high and high school will be enhanced to allow for increased career and college readiness for students. The name and mascot for the new high school will be selected through an extensive process during the 2023-24 school year. Students, staff, and the community will all be included in the selection process until a recommendation is made to the board of trustees. To see what the process will look like, please click here.

The facilities page on our website will be updated as site plans are created and progress is made toward consolidation. The consolidated high school and consolidated junior high school are set to open in August 2025.

Click here for more details!

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Consolidated High School

Consolidated High School Conceptual Plan

Ione Junior High Conversion to Ione Elementary

Ione Elementary School Conceptual Plan

Certificate Of Participation (COP) Information

Measure H did not pass on November 8, 2022. Without access to bond funds, to reconfigure campuses and consolidate student populations at higher grade levels – improving the quality of education provided to all students and resulting in gained efficiencies and corresponding cost savings – the District will need to finance facilities projects to increase classroom capacity at Argonaut High School. The proposed addition of a 10-classroom wing and student support facilities at Argonaut will allow for consolidation of Amador High School, placing all high school students in the County at a single campus. The District can finance $15 million of the facilities project costs utilizing Certificates of Participation (COP). Concurrently, the District will examine all facilities needs qualifying for potential State funding through the School Facilities Program (SFP) and, to the extent any of the components of the planned new classroom wing at Argonaut High School are eligible, the 2023 COP will provide matching funds for such SFP funds, in addition to providing the primary source of project funding.

The proposed 2023 COP would provide up to $15 million for projects through an offering of public debt backed by a lease of District property. The proposed lease asset would be Amador High School, although it may be that an alternative site could be required pending title reports. The lease paid by the District would be structured to prepay interest for a period of 18 months, delaying the first ‘out-of-pocket’ payment until after projects have be completed. It is estimated that annual lease repayments of $1,245,000 per year will be required for approximately 18.5 years after prepaid interest is exhausted. Such payments can be made from any legally available resource and are a pledge of the District’s General Fund.

The consolidation is projected to generate annual savings of $1,300,000 in 2022-23 dollars, and should grow with annual cost inflation, mitigating the impact of 2023 COP repayments. Additionally, District staff believe the cost of repayment can be accommodated in future budgets.

The action to approve the 2023 COP allows for up to $16.75 million in principal amount for the 2023 COP to accommodate a reserve fund, issuance costs and prepaid (or “capitalized”) interest. Depending on market dynamics and the desired redemption provisions for the 2023 COPs, the District may be able to generate additional premiums on the sale of the 2023 COP and reduce the principal amount; however, either way this will ultimately have little impact of the actual repayment requirement amounts. Furthermore, action to approve the issuance of the 2023 COP does not commit the District to an issuance, but does authorize continuation of the issuance process.

Resolution – PDF

Notice of Preparation – School Closure/Consolidation Program Project

This NOP has been completed. The purpose of this NOP is to serve as a public notice that an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will be prepared and to advise and solicit comments and suggestions regarding the scope and content of

Notice of Preparation – PDF

Questions and comments were emailed to CEQAcomments@acusd.org or to the mailing address listed on page 5 of the NOP. The review period was Wednesday, June 21st through Thursday, July 20th.

School Bond Information

Measure H did not pass on November 8, 2022. Most of the District schools were built in the 1950s and 1960s. Their critical systems and infrastructure are reaching the end of their useful life. The district still plans on bringing another bond to the ballot in the future and hopes to eventually complete the projects that were initially planned as part of Measure H.

School bond funds would:

Repair and replace leaky and deteriorating roofs
Improve, upgrade, or replace outdated electrical, plumbing, sewer, heating, and air conditioning systems
Upgrade science, computer, and career technical education labs and facilities
Repair, modernize, and improve old classrooms and facilities, and replace outdated, temporary portables
Maintain and improve six existing elementary schools in the communities they currently serve
Build new facilities at consolidated schools to expand programs at the middle and high school campuses, better preparing all students for vocational jobs, college, and careers

Site Plans

Amador Consolidated High School

Amador Consolidated High School Master Plan

Ione Elementary School

Ione Elementary School Site Master Plan

Jackson Elementary School

Jackson Elementary School Site Master Plan

Sutter Creek Elementary School

Sutter Creek Elementary School Site Master Plan

Additional documents:

FACILITIES PROJECTS

New-Argonaut-High-School-Special-Education-Facility-1

New-Argonaut-High-School-Special-Education-Facility

Projects In Progress

High school consolidation projects are currently in progress. For more details, see the information above.

Recently Completed Projects

There are brand-new, state-funded Special Education buildings at Argonaut High School, Plymouth Elementary School, and Jackson Junior High School.
HVAC systems have been installed in the gyms at Argonaut High School, Jackson Junior High School, and Ione Junior High School.
Argonaut High School and Amador High School both have brand-new turf fields.
Amador High School’s track has been resurfaced.

If you have questions about current or future facilities projects, please contact the Business office.

Facilities Utilization Master Plan

A Facilities Utilization Master Plan is a document that serves as a reference upon which decisions are made for future facility needs. Facilities planning requires building and modernizing schools for a rapidly changing tomorrow. With this in mind, planners should consider educational needs projected into a future that will serve the needs of all students.

Facilities planning involves research, consultation with experts, and a process that is broad-based. The most successful school planning is one that is continual in the process of planning over time. A plan that has built-in flexibility based on reasonable data and a keen understanding of the students served by the district is necessary.

Due to limited facility construction funding from the state level and minimal local funding availability, realistic expectations must be applied to future modernization, new construction, and replacement projects.
This Facilities Utilization Master Plan, as all master plans, is not intended to answer all questions, nor circumvent future thinking. This master plan provides a foundation and will need to be flexible to the ever-changing environment of the student population, curriculum, and the economic environment.

Included in this Facilities Utilization Master Plan is relevant information such as the educational program, the educational facilities, the condition of the facilities, demographics, and identification of possible funding sources.

Facilities Utilization Master Plan – February 2022 – PDF

Facilities Maintenance Plans

The Facilities Maintenance Plan provides an overview of the maintenance of all buildings, grounds, equipment, for fourteen (14) sites and identifies objectives of the maintenance program for Amador County Unified School District (ACUSD) and Amador County Office of Education (ACOE). In addition, it represents the Routine Restricted Maintenance Account and Deferred Maintenance Accounts.

Facilities Inspection System Reports

The Facilities Inspection System Report comprises an evaluation of all of the schools throughout the district. Serving as the uniform definition of good repair, the Facilities Inspection Tool (FIT) is intended to be used by school officials in ensuring that all California school children have access to clean, safe, and functional school facilities. The FIT is designed to identify areas of a school site that are in need of repair based upon a visual inspection of the site. Numerous categories are evaluated including, but not limited to, mechanical systems, sewer, interior surfaces, electrical, restrooms, fire safety, structural damage, roofs, and playgrounds. Many of the areas of need identified in the report will be addressed in the coming weeks in months as this report will be used by the maintenance department to improve conditions for the coming years. Properly maintaining this report and addressing the needs will provide the district with the potential to apply for state-funded facilities projects through the School Facility Program.

Amador County Public Schools 2020-2021 Facility Inspection System – PDF

California Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act (CUPCCAA)

Amador County Public Schools uses Quality Bidders for the CUPCCAA-compliant bidding process. To submit an application for approval, please visit the link.

If you have any questions please contact:

Kelly Breeding
kelly.breeding@acusd.org
209-257-5345

Completed Projects

The Argonaut High School Culinary Arts classroom renovation is complete. Students at Argonaut High School now have access to a state-of-the-art culinary facility.
New, modern, ADA-compliant bleachers are installed in the Amador and Argonaut High School gymnasiums.
The Argonaut High School track renovation is complete. Argonaut High School now has a competition-level facility.

Facilities & Projects

Financial Reports