The Paso Robles school board met for over three hours Saturday morning to talk about Measure M money, and how to best spend that revenue on repairing decaying buildings in the school district.
Trustee Chris Bausch said that the public is curious about two projects, Georgia Brown elementary school, and the aquatic complex. As for the Georgia Brown building, the Measure M oversight committee has recommended that rather than fixing it, the Georgia Brown property be sold. Chief business officer Brad Pawlowski says part of the problem came from lack of maintenance which was allowed by the state of California. During the Chris Williams administration, little was spent on maintenance.
The oversight committee now saying it would be more cost effective to rebuild Georgia Brown than to repair it. The 7-11, Measure M oversight committee recommends the district sell the property, but the board has not yet made a decision on that.
Another ongoing issue is the $10 million dollar aquatic complex. One of the unspoken issues is the election for Measure M money. Superintendent Chris Williams used voter boundaries that excluded many in the high school district. Brad Pawlowski telling the board Saturday, the district used in the Measure M election did not include voters in San Miguel or Pleasant Valley, which prevents Measure M money from being used at the high school.
That raises questions about the legality of using Measure M money for the aquatic complex. Chris Williams spent over $1.5 million on equipment and design for the aquatic complex. Just under six million dollars remains in the fund earmarked for the pools. The board has yet to make a decision on the future of the aquatic complex, although the board is in agreement, Paso Robles high school desperately needs a new swimming pool. And there are people in the community who are stepping up to help make that a reality.
