schedule & faq

What is "Chabot: Way to Grow!"
Chabot: Way to Grow! is a capital campaign organized by the Chabot PTA to fund the completion of Chabot’s campus master plan. The Oakland Unified School District is replacing Chabot’s outdated portables with permanent classrooms and a new multi-purpose room, but OUSD funds will not cover landscaping, new playground equipment or repairing damage to the garden that will occur during construction.

Why is Chabot getting new buildings?
Chabot’s original school building has only six classrooms. Since the 1940s, the school has been adding “temporary” portable classrooms to house its growing student body. The new buildings will replace 12 portables with 12 permanent classrooms and provide a multi-purpose room where all students can gather.

Who will pay for the new buildings?
In June 2006, Oakland voters approved Measure B, a $435 million bond initiative aimed at modernizing many facilities within the Oakland Unified School District — including Chabot Elementary.
The budget for the entire Chabot improvement project is $17.5 million. Of that total, $13.5 million is for construction, site preparation, and temporary housing, and $4 million is for professional fees, permitting fees, and other costs of completing the project.

Why is the PTA asking for donations?
Although district funds will cover the cost of building construction, they are not sufficient to complete the campus master plan that includes updated play equipment, park-like landscaping and the restoration of Chabot’s beloved garden, which will be demolished during construction.
The Way to Grow! campaign also will provide funding for interior furnishings not included in the school district’s construction budget.

Where can I see the plans for the new buildings and landscaping?
High-resolution architectural drawings and renderings are posted on the campus preview page of this Web site.

When will the new buildings be ready?
Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2008, and to be completed in time for the start of the 2009-2010 school year.

Which classes will be housed in the new buildings?
The new classroom building will house Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades in a total of 12 classrooms.

What is the multi-purpose room?
The new multi-purpose room will be large enough to accommodate the entire school for assemblies.
It will have an adequately sized kitchen and will serve as a lunch room on rainy days.
With tables removed, the room will house a full-size basketball court.
Garage-style doors will open onto the upper yard.

Will the school remain open during construction?
The school will remain open during construction, with temporary housing placed on the upper yard.
Children will take recess on the lower yard and the adjacent playing field.
The garden will be dismantled and used as a staging area. When construction is complete, the garden will be rebuilt using Way to Grow! funds.

Will Chabot still have portables?
While 12 of the portables currently on campus will be replaced, we are keeping the six most modern portables for the upper grades. This compromise was necessary so that the school could have a multi-purpose room — which was identified as a priority for the teachers and staff.

Will Chabot’s enrollment grow when the new buildings are completed?
No. The school will have the same number of classrooms when the new buildings are complete to house the same number of students as are currently enrolled.

What will happen to the auditorium and other spaces?
The current auditorium will become a library and multi-purpose room.
The current library will converted to music rooms
The largest current kindergarten room will become a dedicated art and science room.

How will the safety of students and staff be ensured during construction?
OUSD and Chabot are committed to safety at all times. OUSD has assigned a project manager, who is responsible for site safety.
State law also requires OUSD assign an inspector of record to the project. This person must be apprised of site developments at all times.

If I choose to donate online, will my credit card information be secure?
The Chabot Elementary PTA has partnered with a well-established nonprofit service organization, Network for Good, to provide a secure environment for online contributions.
Our online donation page is hosted on Network for Good servers that employ industry-leading Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to keep your personal information as secure as possible.

Anthony Chabot Elementary School | 6686 Chabot Road | Oakland, CA 94618
(510) 879-1060 | www.chabotelementary.org

Copyright © 2007 Chabot Elementary PTA