Los Banos Rotary Club History
School Consultant Advises Purchase of High School Site; Orderly Development

Harvey Ferris, action planning consultant for the State Department of Education, speaking to two groups of citizenry here Tuesday, advised the community to proceed quickly with the acquisition of a new high school site, and plan to develop a new high school plant over a period of years as necessity and practicability dictates.

Ferris addressed members of the Rotary Club Tuesday noon and that evening spoke at a joint meeting of the trustees of the local high school district and its Lay Advisory Committee. The latter meeting was open to the public and there was a fair attendance of interested citizens.

His talk before both groups covered the same points and he stressed the importance of acquiring an adequate site "before the subdividors move in" and real estate valuation skyrockets.

To emphasize this point, Ferris declared in New York state land for school sites is selling at $150,000 an acre and in Los Angeles county it is being sold to districts for as high as $450,000 an acre.

Throughout the state of California there is the problem of tremendous population influx and too few classrooms to accommodate this expansion, said Ferris. Some 10,000 persons permanently settle in California each month.

The State Department of Education has projected anticipated school enrollments to 1960 and found 66,000 classrooms will be needed, plus replacement of 14,000 rooms in poor condition, at a cost of two billion dollars.
Ferris noted that Fresno county in the past several months has surpassed Santa Clara county in growth. The latter area has had the highest rate of industrial expansion and accompanying population increase of any county in the state.

With most of the prime industrial locations along Highway 101 already sold, Ferris looks to industrial growth along Highway 33 and he told the groups they can expect some factories to locate in this area in the next five to ten years. This will mean, of course, mushrooming populations and need for more and bigger schools.

He stressed the importance of getting adequate school sites, while land is cheap and in turn cited the problem of the Watsonville high school which now has no property on which to spread out and is attempting to solve its growth problem by buying and tearing down private residences surrounding its present plant.

Illustrating minimum requirements for a site, the speaker pointed out the State Department of Education advises an elementary school site have a base five acres plus one acre for each 100 students of anticipated enrollment. Enrollments should not exceed 500 for optimum administrative and operating efficiency.

A high school plant, Ferris stressed, must have a base 30 acres, and one acre for each 100 students anticipated. The economical unit is 1,500 students, over which costs go up and administrative efficiency declines. Thirty acres would be used for outdoor classes as physical education, 15 acres for buildings and parking and 15 acres for a school farm.

A new plant must be tailored to every changing teaching and curriculum changes and he recommended consideration be given to vocational and outdoor agricultural classes in a proposed new high school plant.
The counsel of experts in the school planning division of the State Department of Education is available to districts and Ferris strongly recommended they be consulted for advice on a school "designed and tailored to the needs of the community."

Consultants on vocational education, physical education, and academic subjects can advise school districts on the trend in education and what type of classrooms are needed.

"These experts will not try to sell you a bill of goods or push you around," said Ferris. "They are only interested in helping you get the best possible facilities at the lowest possible cost.

"Curriculum is the core of the whole problem, and when you can determine what the community wants to teach its children then you can erect the buildings to house those classes."

Consultants on schoolhouse planning, said Ferris, will help determine what the curriculum of a high school should be. On this point, Ferris said, state industries are urging high schools to review lagging interest in mathematics and science in light of the emphasis Russia is placing on these studies. A poor or incomplete curriculum study can aggravate a school building problem, he emphasized, pointing to a valley high school which built three shop buildings for as many vocational teachers and now wants to revamp one of the shops into a music building.

Touching on the subject of unification, Ferris said consolidation of the Los Banos Elementary and High School districts would lessen the problem of what to do with the present high school buildings if a new plant is built, since there would be "one board of trustees to decide the issue."

Unification, too, would eliminate duplication of services and administration and the buying power of one combined district would increase since the supplies would be purchased in quantity at a lower cost, said Ferris. The trend is toward unification "when the pinch on the tax dollar becomes acute."
At the joint trustee-lay committee meeting, a debate was touched off on the question of whether state or private agencies should be used to survey the building problem here.

One committee member declared he felt private consultants, such as those of Stanford University, should be hired, since the high school district must be certain money for a 1 ½ million dollar plant is spent right and "the question is which agency can do the job best." He was countered by another member who felt the district should "take full advantage of what the state has to offer and if they do not do the job right, then hire a private agency."

At this point Ferris declared private counselors do not accomplish any more or offer any more than those available from the state and the latter "can do it cheaper." He added state counselors are paid "by your tax dollar" and districts are wise to take advantage of their service.

The lay committee tentatively agreed to have a department of education school planning counselor speak at their next meeting.

School Is Growing

Carlyle Loftin, principal of the local high school, explained, with use of several tables and graphs, the problems facing the school due to anticipated growth in enrollment within the next few years. Stating that, whereas five years ago he felt that the existing school system was adequate to handle Los Banos' student needs for many years to come, today he is certain that increasing enrollment will make expansion of facilities an absolute necessity within the next few years.

Analyzing actual enrollment figures over the past several years, plus results of a survey taken this summerby the committee's enrollment group, Loftin stated the enrollment peak for the elementary schools of this community, including parochial, has not been reached. it is estimated there will be 1,448 pupils enrolled in the elementary schools here this fall, and in the fall of 1961 there will be 1,619, an increase of 171 pupils, or 11.7 per cent over 1956.
The enrollment of the high school is expected to increase 286 students between the years 1956 and 1964. this represents an increase of 72.4 per cent in eight years, or an average of approximately 36 students per year.
The projected attendants table indicates a high school enrollment of 667 students by 1964.

Loftin stated that no adjustment was made in the enrollment projection for possible in-migration to the community, and pointed out that as the population of California increases there is little question but what the Los Banos community will continue to grow at a healthy rate, with a consequent boost in the student enrollment over that shown in the projection table.

Loftin also called attention to possible effect of the proposed San Luis Dam and West Side Canal, and said there is no doubt but that an emergency will exist unless careful planning is carried out beforehand.
Loftin also pointed out that several of the present high school buildings pre defective to the existent that regular insurance companies will not accept the risk. He specifically mentioned the girls' gymnasium, built in 1927, which this summer was declared by construction engineers as now determined beyond rehabilitation.

Stabilization, remodeling and new fixtures for the boys' gymnasium will cost an estimated $111,000, according to a report made this year by Butner, Holm & Waterman, architects. The building was built in 1921 at a cost of $14,785 and would, at today's prices, cost an estimated $162,242 to replace. Alteration and building of new dressing rooms in the boys' and girls' gymnasiums would cost an additional $23,000.

The shop building, built in 1924 at a cost of $13,490, has also been condemned by engineers. Cost of rehabilitation today is estimated at $66,500, or a new building at a cost of $67,691.
The engineers estimated rehabilitation of the science building (colonnade) would cost $86,700; replacement value $96,390. The two units were built in 1922 and 1923 at a cost of $33,500.

The 1932 classroom building, built at a cost of $24,069, would cost $117,711 to replace today. It needs painting and new wiring.
The administration building, built in 1940 for $55,087, has a replacement value today of $183,322. It needs remodeling and new fixtures costing some $4,000.

The apartment building, built in 1921 for $12,976, would cost $42,175 to replace today. It is not worth rejuvenating and shoulb be abandoned.
The music building, built in 1952 for $54,680, would cost some $64,186 today. No repairs or other work needed.
The school garage, built in 1934 at a cost of $1,865, is also in top condition and no work needed.

Total replacement cost, at today's figures, the engineers' report stated, is $741,289; total cost of repairs, modernization and remodeling necessary will cost an estimated $415,044.

Favors New Plant

Dick Gardner, local plumber and president of the high school board of trustees, introduced Ferris at the Rotary Club, where he stated that on the basis of a study covering the past three years, he has definitely come to the conclusion that a completely new high school plant, to be undertaken and accomplished over a period of years, is the only logical step for the community.

Gardner said his opinion is mostly based on the engineers' survey and the result of consultations with the State Department of Education. He stated the trustees generally favor a plan that would add 40 cents to the regular tax rate, and to proceed on a basis that would provide a gradual transferral to the new site as need demands.

August 31, 1956

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