School board to consider $429,800 tennis complex design Tuesday

Paso Robles residents will get a clearer picture this week of what a new tennis complex at Paso Robles High School could look like — and how quickly the district is prepared to move if voters sign off on a $205 million bond next month.

The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees is scheduled Tuesday, Oct. 13, to consider a $429,800 design contract for a new tennis complex at the high school, according to the meeting agenda. The project is tied directly to the fate of Measure G-26, the district's proposed general obligation bond on the Nov. 3 ballot, meaning design work will not proceed if the measure fails.

The board will meet in closed session at 6 p.m., with open session beginning at approximately 6:30 p.m. in the board room at the district office, 800 Niblick Road. Meetings are streamed on the district's YouTube channel, and residents can submit questions in writing to [email protected]. Anyone needing an interpreter or accommodation to participate can call (805) 769-1000, ext. 30104. The full agenda is available on the district's board portal.

What the Tennis Complex Would Include

The design contract under consideration is a proposal from 19-6 Architects, with the work to be paid from the district's capital facilities fund, the agenda states.

Plans call for six new tennis courts with bleachers and shade structures, sport lighting, a drinking fountain with a bottle filler, and power and fiber infrastructure to support a future concession stand. The project also includes an approximately 82-space parking lot intended to serve students, staff, spectators, and athletic events.

The current courts date to around 1980 and are in need of significant improvements, including resurfacing, according to the district. The replacement project is identified in Phase 1 of the district's 2030 Vision Facilities Master Plan, which lays out facility priorities across the district's campuses.

The board first took up the design item as an information item on Sept. 22, meaning trustees have already had one opportunity to review the proposal before Tuesday's potential vote.

The Measure G-26 Connection

The tennis complex is the latest district project to be made contingent on Measure G-26, which the Paso Robles Daily News reported is a general obligation bond of up to $205 million.

According to the bond resolution filed with San Luis Obispo County, the bond would fund modernization and expansion of classrooms and career technical education facilities at Paso Robles High School and Liberty Continuation High School, along with repairs, safety upgrades, and accessibility improvements across the district.

With the election just weeks away, Tuesday's vote represents a bit of a head start: approving the design contract now allows the district to move immediately into planning if the bond passes, but the district has stated design will not move forward if Measure G-26 does not pass. For local tennis players, Bearcat athletics families, and neighbors who use school facilities, the Nov. 3 outcome will effectively decide whether the roughly 45-year-old courts get a full replacement or continue awaiting upgrades.

Other Business on the Agenda

Beyond the tennis complex, trustees have a full consent agenda before them, including a five-year contract renewal with University Instructors to supply five additional special education paraeducators at a cost of $103,194 from the general fund. The money comes from funding for unfilled special education paraeducator positions, the district said. The agency has provided more than 20 special education paraeducators over the past two years, and contracted employees can move into district employment after 45 days. All positions under the previous agreement have been filled, according to the agenda.

The board will also weigh a $14,466.55 change order for roofing repairs on the 400 wing at Lewis Flamson Junior High School. Crews found leaks, damaged coatings and membrane, open seams, and clogged drains, among other issues, according to the district.

Other consent items include purchases of Heggerty Bridge to Writing materials for kindergarten and first grade and OverDrive/Sora e-books and audiobooks for Title I schools, along with a resolution recognizing National First Responders Day on Oct. 28, honoring school resource officers, firefighters, paramedics, school nurses, and other emergency personnel.

Trustees will also consider accepting several donations: $1,000 from Kenneth E. Enney to the Liberty High School associated student body, and $100 each from Leo Castillo to the AVID program at Lewis Flamson Junior High and to MEChA at Paso Robles High School.

Policy, Safety, and Endowment Updates

The board will hold second reads of its third-quarter board policy updates and a career technical education teacher job description, both steps that typically precede final adoption.

Information items include the quarterly safety report covering July through September, a first read of a culinary assistant job description, and an update on the Chiado Trust endowment — funds donated to the district in 2024 and deposited with the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara.

In closed session, trustees will confer with labor negotiators and discuss a public employee discipline, dismissal, or release matter.

For Paso Robles residents, Tuesday's meeting offers one of the last looks at how the district plans to spend bond-adjacent dollars before Election Day — and a preview of the facility upgrades that could reshape the high school campus if Measure G-26 wins voter approval on Nov. 3.