Section One
E x e c u t i v e
Livingston Union School District | Facilities Master Plan
S u m m a r y
“What is a Facilities Master Plan, and Why is it Needed?”
What is a Facilities Master Plan?
Why is It needed?
In January 2016, Darden Architects and School Facility Consultants were
contracted to complete a Facilities Master Plan. The purpose of the plan was to
identify the areas of need at the existing facilities, and establish priorities for
implementation of improvements over the next ten years. The plan will guide
the District’s goal to ensure school facilities are providing an optimal learning
space for the youth of the community, and that any bond funds are leveraged
and allocated appropriately for maximum value and effectiveness.
Prior to 2006, the population growth in the State of California was on the rise.
For those cities within commuting range of the Bay Area, the population growth
was the focus for many demographers and planners. It was anticipated that a
significant amount of new families would be moving to Merced County and the
City of Livingston.
From April to November of 2016, District staff and stakeholders have been
actively engaged in the Master Planning Team’s work to:
• Develop Standards for Education, Materials and Technology .
• Assess the District facilities improvement needs.
• Project and plan for District demographic influences and classroom
capacity needs.
• Provide opportunity for involvement of the community, parents, school
staff and the School Board.
• Explore potential school facilities funding sources.
• Prioritize needs, and prepare an implementation plan.
Livingston Union School District needed to either house the students at its’
existing sites, or plan to build a school in the location where the new growth was
expected. It was decided that a new neighborhood school should be built to
serve the planned housing units.
In 2007 the Great Recession hit California, and the expected population and
student growth did not occur. Now, in 2016, Livingston Union School District has
not experienced any significant growth that would require the development of a
new school.
In response to the reduced student housing need, it is now the goal of the
District to use the remaining bond funds for facility improvements at their
existing school sites and District facilities. Refer to page 55 for the results of
a questionnaire related to this subject, that was handed out to community
members.
In November 2005, Measure B passed with 66.8% of the voters supporting the
bond. The passage of Measure B authorized the District to sell 10-million dollars
in General Obligation Bonds. This bond was intended to help fund portions of
the new elementary school and the upgrade of existing facilities.
The final Facilities Master Plan is a needs-sensitive guidebook; the culmination
of all the data that’s been collected, analyzed and synthesized. District goals and
objectives are mapped out through clearly defined milestones. This Facilities
Master Plan document establishes a framework for the orderly development of
facility improvements over the coming years.
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