Baywood Elementary in Los Osos was built over 50 years ago, so the layout of the campus is not like newer schools.
“Open classroom model where there was missing doors and walls so we can just walk anywhere, and with today’s security concerns about active shooters those types of things it doesn’t really meet the safety requirements," said San Luis Coastal Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Ryan Pinkerton.
As part of the voter-approved Measure C, over $50 million will go toward the school’s total reconstruction.
The campus layout will be flipped, moving the sports field to where the classrooms are currently, and it will all be done in phases.
But some local residents don’t agree with the plan, like Julie Tacker, whose mom taught at the school, and thinks they should just upgrade the facilities they already have.
“It’s an extensive project and just having drop-off and pick-up and trying to have an assembly or anything that goes on at the school there’s going to be conflict with the noise," Tacker said.
Pinkerton says that rebuilding is actually cheaper than modernizing the already standing buildings.
“People will often be like what that doesn’t make sense that modernizing it will cost more than building a new one, but we’re talking about school buildings and so the Department of State Architects makes us bring everything up to the current standards,” Pinkerton said.
Pinkerton added that they experienced that at Pacheco Elementary, where they’ve modernized two wings.
Tacker said that she’s also heard concerns about trees coming down.
“I know a lot of people are concerned with how many trees are gonna be removed you know they say they’re going to mitigate," Tacker said.
Pinkerton told KSBY News that they have to plant 60 native trees for the 30 that will be taken down throughout campus, and a familiar grove will stay the same.
“We’re actually keeping the large, beautiful native oak grove that’s near the multipurpose room,” Pinkerton said.
Tacker said that she is planning to appeal the approval of the project. Appeals are made to the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors until Thursday, Oct. 22.
