When the $8,000,000 Bond Measure GG overwhelmingly passed in November of 2018 the question was, "Oh my goodness, where do we start?" We began by thanking the community of Borrego Springs for this opportunity to help our aging schools. The extreme desert weather had taken its toll on our structures and school grounds. Irrigation systems needed replacement as well as underground pipes installed in 1965 – especially the one with a 24' long root thriving inside!

If you take a drive by the Borrego Springs Middle and High Schools, you will see some pretty extravagant changes. Local company Fredericks Construction has done a magnificent job of removing non-native vegetation and creating a landscape around the high school that conserves water, is attractive and will provide students with a welcoming and safe campus.

Classrooms at the high school will be modernized and retrofitted with the latest technology and instructional efficiencies. This is especially true with the science lab and library which have not been altered since the school opened in 1965. The goal is to create a state-of-the-art science lab and a library that serves as a dynamic media center.

At the elementary school, two old portables installed in the 1970's have been demolished and hauled away. In their place are two new and much-needed sturdy classrooms which will serve as a computer center and art classroom. Another notable addition at the elementary school will be a redesigned and much safer drop-off zone for children. They will exit the buses and cars in a designated area off Borrego Springs Road instead of Palm Canyon. This will greatly reduce the congestion along the highway in front of the school.

Solar panels, installed by Baker Electric, offer shade in the elementary, middle and high school parking lots and school grounds while producing an estimated 526,000,471 kilowatts of power in the first year. This should result in a substantial financial savings to the school district.

Surrounding all of these changes will be a handsome wrought iron fence installed in order for our campuses to be secure and safe. All visitors will enter the school through the front office. No more wayward coyotes showing up on campus or the public cutting through school grounds as a short-cut.

These changes are conducted under the watchful eye of the DSA or Division of the State Architect, Wayne Oetken, who oversees every move and expenditure of the district to ensure that the public's money is spent correctly and accurately. In addition, the district has a Bond Committee oversight group whose goal is to ensure that the funds are used for the priorities set by the school district.

Jessica Gillespie, District CBO states that, "by adding lots of love we can make a difference for our students."

That is just what is happening at the school district now, lots of love, lots of planning and lots of financial support from Proposition GG. The changes made will keep our schools safer, more attractive and fiscally sustainable.

Much appreciation and thank you go to our community for supporting this bond measure in 2018. You will not be disappointed!