Students and staff have grown accustomed to the plethora of issues plaguing Irvington’s buildings, many of which are over 60 years old. When it rains, the roofs leak. When it’s hot, air conditioning fails. And our electrical system has caused school cancellations twice in just over two years. Fortunately, Fremont Unified School District has recognized these issues and started work on a Long Range Facilities Plan (LRFP) in 2020, proposing an almost complete overhaul of Irvington’s run-down facilities. The plan was adopted by the FUSD Board of Education on August 28, 2024, but its implementation is tied to the passage of funding from a consequential measure on the ballot this November.
The last LRFP was approved in 2014 and funded by FUSD Measure E. This plan was responsible for several improvements to Irvington’s campus, most notably the addition of the New Building. However, many of its other provisions, including a new gymnasium, additional classrooms on the side of campus bordering Grimmer Blvd, and new parking lots, were never implemented.
This year’s LRFP is far more ambitious: all buildings, except for the New Building, Cafeteria, Small Gym, and Weight Room, would be replaced with new facilities. These plans include replacing the portables in the Pavilion with a tree-lined quad and dining court, changing the configuration of the parking lots, and more. In all, Irvington’s renovations will cost an estimated $192,872,230.
The most important parts of this plan, which are on FUSD’s Prioritized Project List, will be implemented in three phases. The first phase would replace the library and 200s wing with a new C-shaped two-story building, housing administrative offices, the library, and 72 new classrooms. In Phase 2, a new performing arts center, gymnasium, and locker rooms would take the place of the double-digit classrooms and administrative offices lining the main hallways of Irvington. Finally, in Phase 3, outdoor sports practice facilities would be upgraded.
This plan would represent the biggest overhaul in Irvington facilities in decades, and would result in the demolition of many buildings that were built in 1959, before the school began operating. Along with benefiting the thriving performing arts and athletics programs at Irvington, the new buildings would be a welcome replacement to Irvington’s current state of disrepair.
Under this LRFP, other Fremont Unified high schools will also receive upgrades of similar magnitude, and so will most elementary schools. Meanwhile, the district’s middle schools will receive upgrades of less magnitude, since they all completed significant renovations under the 2014 LRFP.
However, none of these plans will come to pass if Fremont voters do not pass Measure M this November. On August 5th, 2024 the Fremont Unified School District Board of Trustees held a meeting and unanimously approved Measure M, an education bond measure for the November 2024 ballot, to serve as the main source for funding infrastructure improvements, hoping to raise just shy of $1 billion dollars.
Measure M, if passed, will allow for infrastructure improvements to occur over the next year. Funding from this measure will be used to update classrooms, improve science labs and technology equipment, secure leaking roofs, and replace outdated portables with permanent classes. Residents will be taxed 4.9 cents for every $100 dollars in assessed property value, meaning only homeowners will be impacted. The parcel tax is expected to raise $63,000,000 annually.
Some opponents of this bond claim that there will be a tax burden on the residents if it is passed. If Measure M does not pass, the issuing of $919 million will not be authorized, and property taxes for voters will not increase. There may be delays for necessary improvements for schools which can lead to safety issues for students and staff.
