Work will start in the coming weeks on Manteca’s first two-story classroom building since the old Manteca High structure that included the mission-style tower was torn down in October of 1969.

The Manteca Unified board when they meet today at 1 p.m. at the district office, 2271 West Louise Ave., is expected to approve a $431,599 demolition and mobilization contract with C.T. Brayton & Son of Escalon.

It involves prepping the grassy area in front of East Union High along Union Road between the student and faculty parking lots for a two-story classroom building.

It will house 30 classrooms and a media center

The building will be L-shaped and built in the grassy area along Union Road between the student parking lot and faculty lot where there are solar shade structures.

The new structure will be connected to learning stairs leading to a new student quad with a stage-like use area. The classrooms are mostly standard sized although some are larger based on the need of educational programming.  There will also be a central staff resource room with equipment such as a copier, work table, sink, storage and refrigerator.

After the two-story structures are completed, 29 aging portable classrooms that have been in use for close to four decades at the 56-year-old campus will be demolished.

Work will start in the coming months as well at Manteca High on a two-story building with 22 classrooms. It will be built along Mikesell Avenue on recently acquired parcels that have been incorporated into the Manteca High campus.

Some of the classrooms the new stricture will replace at Manteca High are closing in on 60 years of use. The campus is 102 years old.

Both endeavors are expected to take 16 months to complete once physical work starts.  The multi-story structures address issues with classrooms in need of modernization.

Both projects are being funded using the $260 million Measure A bond voters approved in November 2020.

Not included in the current phase at East Union High but on the docket as potential future projects is modernizing the current administration/library into the new administration, attendance and student services complex.

The locker room and choir room could also be modernized.

A future phase involves building a new small gym and weight room. Once those are completed, the existing small gym will be demolished.

An athletic resource center may be built as an addition to the existing large gym. The large gym and gym lobby will also be modernized.

The existing attendance office could possibly be converted into a studio lab with the ceramics building being modernized at the same time.

The fourth phase and beyond would include north parking lot improvements. It also will allow the creation of a new athletic entrance and drop off zone entering from Northgate Drive and exiting on North Union Road where the south parking lot is located.

Two tennis courts would be removed to accommodate the work.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com