Petaluma City Schools has a big year ahead as district leaders plan to begin $229 million worth of new construction and facilities upgrades to local campuses and other properties.

The PCS school board approved the new implementation plan by unanimous vote on Dec. 9, effectively allocating millions in bond funds towards a laundry list of improvements, from new roofing to brand-new classrooms, that are expected to be completed by 2033.

“The Bond Implementation Plan establishes a clear, actionable roadmap for delivering voter-approved bond projects across Petaluma City Schools,” the district said in a staff report posted to the board website. “It builds on the Facilities Master Plan and translates districtwide facility needs into prioritized, sequenced and measurable projects.”

As Superintendent Matthew Harris acknowledged, this is an awkward time to be making hundreds of millions of dollars worth of facilities upgrades given that Petaluma City Schools is also grappling with a $5 million budget shortfall. But the facilities funding was already set aside via two bond measures, Measure AA and Measure Z, and those funds cannot be used for other purposes.

“We cannot use bond funds to pay for teachers, or additional staff or mental health support,” Harris told the Argus-Courier. “It’s very restricted and separate funding.”

Of the $229 million in funding — for projects including safety enhancements, modernization upgrades, new roofing and HVAC replacement for multiple schools, as well as new classroom and athletic facilities at some campuses — $159 million for the middle and high schools comes from Measure AA, and $70 million for the elementary schools from Measure Z. Both measures passed in November 2024.

Large-scale projects

Among the projects the district is planning are new gyms for both Casa Grande High School and Petaluma High School, estimated to cost $16 million apiece.

The district is also planning a new kindergarten and transitional kindergarten classroom structure for Valley Vista Elementary, estimated at about $15 million.

Meanwhile, new TK classrooms and visual and performing arts spaces are planned for Grant Elementary, McDowell Elementary, McNear Elementary and Penngrove Elementary schools, with each of them estimated at about $6.8 million.

In its presentation to the board, district leaders also proposed that PCS use $40 million in bond funds to create a performing arts space at the Crinella Park site near Casa Grande High.

The district also plans to update furniture on its campuses for an estimated total cost of $7.8 million, new play structures at the elementary schools at $500,000 apiece, and more.

According to Harris, the district anticipates the projects funded by currently available bond funds will take approximately five to seven years to complete.

Prioritizing funding

The implementation plan is an extension of the district’s larger-scale Facilities Master Plan, which was also unanimously approved by the board on Dec. 9. That followed a Nov. 18 special study session to discuss an 817-page master plan detailing full assessments conducted by engineering and other consultants of every building, room and playing field throughout the district.

Following those assessments, the consultant team identified facility conditions and proposed potential projects that could need attention in the future, all of which totaled approximately $744 million.

“The facilities master plan is a living document that identifies potential projects over a multi-year period, designed to help our district understand facility needs, plan responsibly and be prepared for future decisions,” Harris told the Argus-Courier.

“The plan is intentionally comprehensive and includes more projects than will be completed. Only projects prioritized by our board and supported by funding will move forward,” he said.

Harris also addressed concerns about funding uses in the Nov. 18 study session, as the district faces a shortfall that is forcing district leaders to slash $5 million from the 2026-27 school year budget. He clarified then that money spent to upgrade the district’s facilities and buildings comes from bonds, which are primarily set aside only for capital projects.

For more on the district’s facilities improvement bond measures go to petalumacityschools.org/departments/business-services/bond-information.