Architect: Ambuehl Needs $10 Mil in Repairs, Upgrades

To bring Ambuehl Elementary School up to modern-day standards would cost $10 million, according to a Capistrano Unified architect.

The district hired WLC Architects in 2009 to assess facility needs all across the 55 campuses. Since then, the report was updated to show 2013 pricing. The district is facing $822 million worth of needs and only has about $44 million on hand to address them.

At Ambuehl, $3.3 million of the total figure would go to replacing half of the school’s portable classrooms with permanent buildings. Another $977,000 would be spent on routine maintenance items the district has postponed in recent years, including paint, heating/ventiliation and paving.

The 2013 figures also include $486,000 to buy new technology for students at the San Juan Capistrano school.

In addition, the school presents some fire-safety issues. In the event of a fire, firefighters would not have access to 3,840 square feet of the school’s buildings.

Also, one or more of the school’s classrooms do not meet the state’s minimum classroom size of 960 square feet.

Below is an easier-to-read legend for the photo above. New construction, which originally included replacing all the portables, is in peach, remodels in yellow.  

1.    Administration remodel

2.    New administration expansion

3.    Library/media center remodel/expansion

4.    New toilets

5.    New kindergarten (three classrooms)

6.    New building (one classroom)

7.    New play surface area

8.    Fire truck turnaround

9.    New play area

10.  Americans with Disabilities Act upgrade

11.  New play equipment area

12.  New parking lot layout (63 stalls)

13.  New multipurpose building

14.  New music room

15.  New outdoor amphitheater

16.  New food services addition

Find out the needs at nearby schools: 

• Capistrano Valley High School
• Del Obispo Elementary
• Kinoshita Elementary
• Marco Forster Middle School
• San Juan Elementary
• San Juan Hills
• Serra High School