MORE INFO:
PROPOSED ADAPTIVE REUSE
SMMUSD WITHHELD CRITICAL INFORMATION
A BETTER SAMOHI CAMPUS PLAN
ADAPTIVE REUSE
History Building and Art Building Become Library, Student Center
and Art/Media Academy
Check out these amazing drawings by Mario Fonda-Bonardi of what the Samohi History Building could be. This is a compromise that includes space for the Art & Media Academy, as well as a library and student center.
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1. The Art Building would become a 2-story library.
2. Half of the History Building would be an open 2-story student center with flexible space for events on the ground floor, cafe, outdoor spaces in the courtyards between the History Art, and English Buildings, lounge areas upstairs with the benefit of the amazing second-story views, and breakout rooms for clubs and meetings.
3. The other half of the History Building can easily accommodate the Media and Art Academy, which was going to comprise the east wing of the Exploration Building. Those are many of the smaller rooms that will fit fine in the History Building and the walls would be moved to create a few larger studios, if needed.
4. The roof could accommodate both a garden and a deck for classrooms and events (with an incredible view), and still make room for plenty of solar panels.
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These uses have never been considered by the SMMUSD and the public is entitled to see that all viable uses are pursued, especially since the public overwhelmingly does not want to spend twice as much money to tear down a historic resource.
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Furthermore the District stated recently it has a "statutory obligation and primary goal is to provide the highest quality education for its present and future students." That would make the district derelict in its duties to continue pursuing spending twice as much on an unnecessary building while leaving other facilities in disrepair.
SMMUSD WITHHELD CRITICAL INFORMATION
Here are the pages from the June 2020 Samohi consultant report (a year ago!!) showing no need for more classrooms and dropping and entire building from the Samohi Campus Plan. The District buried this report so it could keep building the Exploration Building we don't need and demolish the History Building in the process. The February 2021 enrollment report shows a decline twice as big as the June 2020 report, but SMMUSD hid that too and kept going with its wasteful plan.
A BETTER SAMOHI CAMPUS PLAN
This is what the Samohi Campus Plan could look like if we took a more responsible path. The career academies have already been built in the Business Building, the History and Art Buildings would become the library, student center and art/media academy, the Language Building could be replaced with career academies later (if needed), and the giant quad would be restored where the Cafeteria and Admin Buildings are.
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There are much better solutions than overbuilding now for a student population we don't have. Stop the waste and save the History Building.
