Manteca High — an aging 100-year campus with numerous infrastructure and program space deficiencies — is poised to become an education center for the 21st century within five years.

It is also the first of the city’s three high school campuses being expanded to handle enrollment growth in the coming decades. Ultimately Sierra, East Union, and Manteca will have facilities that allow for a program capacity of 2,250 students — roughly 600 to 700 more students than each campus currently have enrolled.

And when it is done the ugly duckling among the five Manteca Unified School District will be partially transformed into a swan.

The campus on the edge of downtown will have a new front door facing Moffat Boulevard.

A design that borrows heavily on modern architecture — “characterized by its emphasis on form over ornament; appreciation of materials and structure instead of idyllic revival constructions; and the adroit, methodical use of space” —  will set the tone as you pull up to the drop off zone.

In terms of architectural sensibilities the Manteca High work will be similar to that employed in the Measure G bond work, including a new multipurpose room, at adjacent Lincoln School.

It includes a layout where the 2,250-seat gym — roughly three time bigger than the existing gym and larger than any other gym in the district — has the new swimming pool nestled up to it facing east toward a pathway that leads to the football stadium and crosses a promenade being created where a section of Garfield Avenue once was.

Just outside the stylish wrought iron security fencing with periodic brick pillars is a long swath of concrete “steps” designed as seating for those awaiting rides in front of large capital letters spelling out “Manteca”.
The new elements now under construction — including eight new classrooms — will be completed by August 2022.

But that won’t be the end of work on the campus.

Manteca Unified is now examining how to best utilize a portion of the $260 million Measure A bond voters approved in November to address a list of needs such as uneven and buckling walkways, dry rot, and other structural issues that come with age.

There are failing underground pipes, soil compaction issues, leaking roofs, heating/air units needing replacement, grading problems from numerous campus alterations over the past 100 years, and aging electrical wiring as well as asbestos that must be abated.

The cost of such work has been pegged at $62 million. It is the greatest need of any campus in the school district. Manteca High — whose buildings where built at various times over the years with some dating back to the 1940s —  has the oldest average age of facilities in the district.

The district is now looking at innovative ways to maximize available money to address the three critical areas of need for facilities — safety, being able to conduct programs designed to meet grade level standards, and effectively being able to serve emerging students.
The goal is to get a second construction phase underway at Manteca High before the current one is done. That will allow cost savings with contractors on site already as well as the ability to invest approved bonding capacity into projects before inflation starts to eat away at the buying power of the dollars voters approved.

The same process is being used for East Union High where work is now underway as well. East Union has the second highest structural and facility needs in the district after Manteca High.

District Superintendent Clark Burke said the goal is to have Manteca High positioned as an effective 21st century learning center with all structural and safety issues addressed as well within five years.

The $41 million worth of work now underway at Manteca High is using Measure G, development fees, and redevelopment receipts. Measure G is going toward safety and health concerns as voters were promised. The other funding sources are allowing the district to set the stage for the campus to expand to 2,250 students to accommodate growth. That is funding the new large gym and new swimming pool.

For a four minute 3-D video of what the current work underway will look like when it is completed go to the proudtobemusd Facebook page that is also accessible via the district’s website.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyartt@mantecabulletin.com