La Tijera K-8 School

La Tijera K-8 School
Frequently Asked Questions

1. I would like to get E-mail or phone calls regarding La Tijera Construction.
2. Will La Tijera be a K-8 or will it become a high school when completed?
3. How many students will the new school accommodate?
4. How will class sizes in the District be affected?
5. What will be the balance between elementary students Kindergarten through 6th versus seventh and eighth grade?
6. Will the District have to add more buildings to accommodate more middle school students?
7. During construction where will students enter and exit the school?
8. Is La Tijera a "green" school?
9. Is it more expensive to build a school with environmental (green) elements like solar panels than to build a regular school?
10. What impact will there be on parking and traffic in the neighborhood?
    
11. Will only La Tijera students be allowed to attend the new school?
12. How much does it cost to build a school?
13. How much will the project cost?
14. How was the new construction financed?
15. How were the design and drawings financed?
16. How much will the state reimburse the District for the construction?
17. Why did the construction costs for the new building rise so much in just a few years?
18. How were the plans developed?
19. Why is the District building a new school rather than putting additions on its existing schools?
20. What does the approved design consist of?
21. What was taken out of the original design?
22. How do I communicate with District regarding trespassing and vandalism at the new school?
23. Where do I do learn about site utilities, zoning issues, and other local ordinances?
24. How can I track the progress of La Tijera project through the plan review process?
25. When will demolition begin and when is the building expected to be completed?
26. How will our area benefit by the new construction?
27. How will our area benefit by the new construction?
28. Is the new school getting new furniture?
29. Where can I find more information about school construction, maintenance and growth?
30. Where can I find more information regarding the long-range plans?
31. I heard there are hazardous materials on the site.

1. I would like to get E-mail or phone calls regarding La Tijera Construction.
   
   a.If you would like to receive an e-mail notification regarding the La Tijera Construction Project, please send us a your e-mail to IUSD@inglewood.k12.ca.us.

2. Will La Tijera be a K-8 or will it become a high school when completed?
   The school was designed as a Kindergarten through eighth grade campus.  The facility cannot support a High School because it does not meet the space and curriculum requirements of the State of California.  The school will not become a high school.
   
3. How many students will the new school accommodate?
1. The school was designed to accommodate 862 students.
4. How will class sizes in the District be affected?
1. The new school will accommodate all the students currently attending La Tijera K-8 and will be able to take on additional students who live in the area.  Class size reduction measures will not be affected so that lower grades will continue to have 22:1 students.
5. What will be the balance between elementary students Kindergarten through 6th versus seventh and eighth grade?
1. The school is planned for 430 kindergarten through 6th grade students and 432 seventh and eighth grade students.  The classrooms have the flexibility to accommodate different grade levels if attendance patterns change.
6. Will the District have to add more buildings to accommodate more middle school students?
1. The school is designed to the capacity of the site.  No additional buildings or students can be accommodated at the new school.
7. During construction where will students enter and exit the school?
1. The entrance gate location will vary over the course of construction.  The primary entrance will remain on La Tijera with Kindergarten access on 64th Street.
8. Is La Tijera a "green" school?
1. The school was designed using “green” concepts.  .  The school has received rebates from Southern California Edison for achieving higher than standard energy efficiency levels.  The school is not a part of the certified green compliance program LEED.
9. Is it more expensive to build a school with environmental (green) elements like solar panels than to build a regular school?
1. Yes, some green items such as solar panels can be more.  Many energy saving measures have long-term payback that offsets the original costs.  Due to limited construction funds, only green elements that do not involve a high up-front cost were included in the project.
   
10. What impact will there be on parking and traffic in the neighborhood?
1. Construction traffic will be regulated and confined to Fairview and La Tijera.  School drop-off and pick-up will remain relatively unchanged from the current traffic levels during the construction period.  Once the school is completed, there will be 90 parking space (double the current number) and three drop off areas on the campus.  There should be a significant improvement in traffic around the neighborhood.
   
11. Will only La Tijera students be allowed to attend the new school?

a.  All students who meet the following guidelines are welcome to attend classes at La Tijera K-8 School.  Students who live in the La Tijera community will be given priority.  Students who live in the surrounding Inglewood community will be admitted based upon issuance of an inter-district permit.    Finally, students who live in areas outside of Inglewood must secure a permit in order to enroll.

12. How much does it cost to build a school?
1. There isn’t a simple answer to this question.  There are many things that affect the cost of a school from size, grade level, inflation, market shortages, number of schools being built at the same time and more.
   
13. How much will the project cost?
1. The actual cost will only be known after the project is bid and completed.  The last estimate, dated June 2007, indicated the construction portion of the project will cost $32,617,494.  In addition to the construction costs, also called hard costs, there are soft costs associated with the project.  Soft costs include the contingencies, agency fees, fees for professional services, inspections, tests, and construction management fees.   The total of both hard and soft costs is estimated at $46,200,000.  This is an estimate only; as stated above, the actual construction cost will only be known after the project is bid and completed.
14. How was the new construction financed?
1. The project was funded through two main sources, Measure K passed by the voters, and State funding.  Other sources of funding including Savings by Design, and reimbursements for the mitigation of unsuitable soils.
15. How were the design and drawings financed?
1. The Architect’s design and drawings were financed through Measure K and State Funding.
16. How much will the state reimburse the District for the construction?
1. The project has qualified for facility hardship funding with the State portion currently estimated to be $14.2 million dollars.  The District is currently seeking reimbursement from the state for the cost of remediating soils.  The anticipated reimbursement is $300,000.
17. Why did the construction costs for the new building rise so much in just a few years?
1. The cost of construction increased significantly between 2002 and 2005 due to global demand on building materials.  Concrete and steel cost increases have had the greatest impact.  Also, oil prices have forced up the cost of petroleum based products such as asphalt, and has made the delivery of materials more expensive.  The year 2006 showed a leveling period, followed by declining costs in 2007 and 2008.  The decline in prices has been moderate in comparison to the sharp spike between 2002 through 2005.
18. How were the plans developed?
1. The plans were developed based on input from the School Board, the School District Administrators, La Tijera campus staff and the Community’s Oversight Committee.  It also conforms to California Department of Education requirements as well as the requirements of the Division of the State Architect.
19. Why is the District building a new school rather than putting additions on its existing schools?
1. It was not cost effective to utilize the existing school buildings due to their age and poor condition.  Several buildings were deemed to be structurally unsafe and were removed by the District.  The remaining buildings are relocatable structures that were designed as temporary housing.  They have exceeded their life spans and are in poor condition.
20. What does the approved design consist of?
1. The design includes five one and two-story buildings.  There are 29 first through eight grade classrooms, 2 kindergarten classrooms, a gym with locker rooms, kitchen, administration building, and a library.
21. What was taken out of the original design?
1. There is a four unit classroom building that will not be built if the project bids for over the estimated price.
22. How do I communicate with District regarding trespassing and vandalism at the new school?
1. Contact the local police department for vandalism or trespassing in progress.  To report an incident after the fact, contact the District Office (310) 419-2793.
23. Where do I do learn about site utilities, zoning issues, and other local ordinances?
1. Local zoning and ordinances do not apply to a State owned project.  Site Utility information can be obtained from the providing agencies such as Southern California Edison or the Gas Company.
24. How can I track the progress of La Tijera project through the plan review process?
1. The plan review process is complete at this time.  Changes that were requested by the Community were resubmitted to the Division of the State Architect and are currently under review.  The States review process can be tracked by the State’s project number: Region 03 Application 110359 at their website https://www.apps.dgs.ca.gov/tracker/Appno.aspx.
25. When will demolition begin and when is the building expected to be completed?
1. Demolition will start on August 18, 2008.  This will be followed by a construction contract for the remainder of the work.  See below for start and completion of construction.
26. How long will it take to finish La Tijera K8?
1. The project will take 2 years to build from the date construction starts.  A demolition phase will occur prior to the start of construction.
27. How will our area benefit by the new construction?
1. The new school facility will attract local students back to the campus and will attract well-qualified teachers.  Traffic issues will be reduced due to increase parking and three drop off zones that are completely on the campus site.  The playfields will be available to the public for use after school hours and on the weekends.
28. Is the new school getting new furniture?
1. The furniture currently being used on campus will be reused in the new school where practical.  New furniture will be purchased to complete the furnish.
29. Where can I find more information about school construction, maintenance and growth?
1. The California Department of Education website http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/fa/
30. Where can I find more information regarding the long-range plans?
1. The District’s plans and upcoming events can be obtained on the website: http://www.inglewood.k12.ca.us/ or http://www.IUSD.net
31. I heard there are hazardous materials on the site.
1. Trace levels of arsenic and petroleum products have been found at depths of 5 to 20 feet on the northwest corner of the site.  The Department of Toxic Substance Control has been notified.  An extensive remediation plan has been developed that will remove the contaminates without any risk of harming the workers or the community.