September 2016 - Fresno Unified School District - Building Futures

September 2016 -- Español | Hmong

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In 2000, many of Fresno Unified's more than 100 schools desperately needed repair and modernization. Schools were overcrowded, classrooms were deteriorating, and technology was inadequate for students and staff.

To tackle the needs, Fresno Unified's voters approved the $199 million Measure K bond with a 67% vote in March 2001 and the $280 million Measure Q bond with a 76% vote in November 2010. The Board of Education will ask voters in November to approve another bond measure, which will continue to transform facilities districtwide.

Measure K funded dire repair needs, projects that had been delayed for years, and built new elementary schools and a middle school. But it became clear the district still had much more to do.

The Fresno Unified Board of Education formed the Facility Ad Hoc Advisory Committee (FAAC) to take a more comprehensive approach by creating the Facilities Master Plan. The plan, approved in April 2009, provides guidance and vision for improving district facilities while anticipating future needs. The plan identified nearly $1 billion in school facility needs districtwide.

It was apparent the district could not address all needs all at once. The plan was to take a decades-long, incremental approach by asking voters to approve several bond measures. The first phase was accomplished in November 2010 when the community overwhelmingly approved the $280 million Measure Q.

Measure Q has upgraded classrooms, labs, technology, and libraries, improved safety and security, increased handicapped access, and built new classrooms and new schools.

The Board of Education recently approved plans to use the final $30 million in Measure Q bonds to replace elementary portable classrooms, build new career technical education classrooms at Duncan Polytechnical High School, and fund needed infrastructure and other school projects.

The board of education is now turning its attention to additional needs spelled out in the facilities master plan, and approved moving forward with a new bond measure at its Aug. 10 board meeting.

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2016 Important Dates

Aug. 29-Sept. 13 Facilities Master Plan Regional Meetings

-- Bullard High School: Sept. 13 at 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria

-- Edison High School: Sept. 12 at 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria

-- Fresno High School: Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria

-- Hoover High School: Sept. 8 at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria

-- McLane High School: Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria

-- Roosevelt High School: Sept. 6 at 6 p.m. in the library

-- Sunnyside High School: Aug. 29 at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria

Sept. 5 Labor Day holiday

Sept. 14 and 28 Board of Education meetings at Nutrition Center

Sept. 26 State of Education luncheon

Oct. 19 Free PSAT testing for grades 9-11

Nov. 21-25 Thanksgiving holiday

Dec. 1 Deadline for choice schools applications

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Parent University Classes

Early Learning Module

Traditional Middle School Module

12th Grade Module

Ready to Learn with PBS

Fresno Police Department's Community Academy

More information: (559) 457-3390 or www.fresnou.org/dept/parentu

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Fresno Unified School District
Important Phone Numbers

Constituent Services: (559) 457-3736

How to enroll: (559) 457-3351

Immunizations: (559) 457-3294

Main number: (559) 457-3000

Parent University: (559) 3390

Preschool: (559) 457-3682 or (559) 457-3803

Transfers Office: (559) 248-7538

Transportation: (559) 457-3138