News

Dear CUSD Community,

 

On behalf of the Claremont Unified School District (CUSD) and our Board of Education, I want to take a moment to say thank you for your overwhelming and ongoing support of Measure G.

As you may recall, in the summer of 2016, our Board unanimously voted to place Measure G on the November ballot, which would generate $58 million in general obligation bonds for capital improvement projects for our school district. If passed by over 55% of local voters, Measure G funds were to be dedicated to repairing and upgrading aging facilities and making schools more energy efficient.

 

With overwhelming support, Measure G passed in November 2016 and district leaders have been hard at work completing the project list identified by the Facilities Needs Assessment with the greatest possible efficiency while minimizing the impact on school operations. Your continued partnership throughout this process is both humbling and inspiring, and it sends a clear message that our local students are a top priority in our community.

 

As the Measure G funds have now been fully spent, we are excited to share details about the list of completed projects funded through the generosity of our taxpayers.

 

On Claremont High School’s campus, students would tell you that the crown jewel of our Measure G projects is the new Dr. Brett O’Connor Student Center. In the heart of Claremont’s campus, the facility serves as a hub for student learning as it boasts several state-of-the-art classrooms and a modern multipurpose room. It opened in 2021 in honor of Dr. Brett O’Connor, longtime principal of the Wolfpack, who is set to retire at the end of this school year.

 

Also on the Claremont High School campus, Measure G allowed us to upgrade the nutrition services area to more efficiently serve students; repair and refurbish the pool including the replacement of pool equipment, decking, and fencing; improve heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) with the replacement of many units across campus; renovate the boys’ and girls’ locker rooms with the installation of new lockers, ADA-compliant restrooms, and HVAC; upgrade the gymnasium with the installation of HVAC, painting, flooring replacement, bleacher replacement, and ADA-compliant restrooms.

 

Measure G also afforded us the opportunity to replace 52 portable classrooms with permanent modular buildings on the campuses of Chaparral, Condit, Mountain View, Sumner Danbury, Sycamore, and Vista del Valle elementary schools as well as Oakmont Outdoor School and El Roble Intermediate School. Our new modular buildings were constructed to offer a more modern learning environment for our students and teachers complete with new HVAC units. Beyond that, they are stylish and enhance the overall appearance of our campuses.

 

Also, as a result of these dollars, many of our campuses have had new roofs installed and been equipped with upgraded electrical panels, which were incorporated into our various construction projects. Security cameras to bolster the safety infrastructure on some of our campuses and district office were also installed. In addition, special attention was given to the El Roble Intermediate School campus including the pool, which was refurbished, and HVAC units, many of which were replaced.

 

As outlined in our district’s strategic plan, known as The CUSD Commitment, we identify Excellence as one of four core values that we stand for and represent. To us, Excellence means we provide a high-quality, rigorous, and relevant educational experience for all students. The capital improvement projects afforded through Measure G support this excellence in our schools, equating to excellence for our students during their academic journey and pride in our school district that endures throughout the community. Rest assured knowing that we will continue to strive toward excellence to deliver a top school district for our community.

 

While we have accomplished so much with Measure G and responsible financial management over the years, all of our school campuses are over 50 years old and continue to have needs when it comes to upkeep and modernization. We look forward to continuing the momentum started with the help of Measure G as additional funds become available, including those that result from the sale of our property at the site of the former La Puerta Middle School.

 

In closing, we thank you once again for your support of Measure G and our entire Claremont Unified School District family. Your generosity and support will positively impact the achievement of our students and the overall organizational success of CUSD for many, many years to come.

 

Sincerely,

Dr. James Elsasser

Superintendent of Schools