Performing arts center to open doors spring of 2018 | Fundraising begins for furnishings

Following a vote on February 9th, San Juan Unified District staff and the school site are now moving forward on a state-of-the-art performing arts center at El Camino Fundamental High School.  The bidding process will begin in March and conclude by June 2016.  We anticipate construction to begin in February 2017, with doors opening in the spring of 2018.

While the final design may include some alterations, a user group including band director Kevin Glaser, choir teacher David Vanderbout, and ECHS parents and students developed a list of components to be included in the performing arts center.  The theater will include 500 fixed seats (with room for approximately 100 extra chairs to be set up to accommodate larger crowds), a large stage, and dressing rooms.  The project design also includes a lobby, backstage area, theater lighting, restrooms, and a control room.  Acoustical engineers will be consulted to maximize sound quality in the building.

The 11,593-square-foot building will be constructed within the current senior parking lot.  The lobby will have space to display artwork, a merchandise concession area, ticket booth and men’s and women’s restrooms, and current designs include a covered outdoor area that will serve as an extension of the lobby.

Future enhancements could include new shop classrooms, enhanced street access to the performing arts center, and beautification of the landscaping to increase curb appeal. 

Ten million dollars in Measure N funds will go toward building the performing arts center itself.  However, all the elements that go into staging a concert or production will not be included.  Therefore, a fundraising committee is hard at work, dreaming up ways to raise funds to purchase all the items we’ll need to put on a good show.  (The committee has also been looking at possible grants for this purpose, and the performing arts center will remain on the list for future STARS donations.) 

Would you like to help?  The ecARTS committee welcomes new members!  Watch this space for announcements about upcoming meetings.

Donations are also gladly accepted, whether they are general contributions or donations for specific item.  Here are some of the items we'll need, along with their estimated costs. Please spread the word!

Stage Equipment

• Music Stands $2,500
• Choral Risers $3,500
• Stage Risers $5,000
• Stage Shells $10,000
• Conductor Podium and Music Stand $2,000
• Musician Chairs (stage and pit orchestra) $7,000

Large, non-portable instruments

• Timpani $15,000
• Bass Drum $1,000
• Mallets (xylophone, marimba, vibraphone) $15,000
• Grand Piano $80,000

Support Equipment

• Make-up Tables and Mirrors $500
• Costume Racks and Storage $500
• Shop Equipment for Set Design $5,000

Box Office and Manager's Office Equipment 

• Desk, shelves, computer with ticket sale software, printer, copier $6,000

Concession Appliances and Equipment

• Refrigerator, microwave, soda dispenser, popcorn machine $4,000

Gallery Equipment

• Pedestals and Movable Walls $3,000

Three easy ways to donate:

1. Click the DONATE button above and to the right
2. Send a check payable to ecARTS to Kevin Glaser, El Camino High School, 4300 El Camino Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95821.
3. Contact Kevin Glaser at kglaser@sanjuan.edu or (916) 971-7449. 

Keep up on El Camino's project and all Measure N signature projects at www.sanjuan.edu/hsprojects.

Performing Arts Center needs $5 million more. Vote carefully for new SJUSD board members.

On Monday, October 13 the El Camino community (including feeder schools) hosted several San Juan Unified School District representatives, two incumbent board members, and a few board candidates to discuss possible Measure N signature projects.

The meeting opened with over 150 students from EC, Deterding, and Arcade playing the Hey song. Students revised the customary chant lyrics, and El Camino’s Screaming Eagle together with the students and the audience sent District personnel an unequivocal message:

We want a theatre!

A mighty, mighty theatre.

Everywhere we go.

We put on a show.

But they’re in our gyms!

That’s why we tell you.

We want a theatre.

A mighty, mighty theatre.

For those of you who missed the meeting, community members, current, former and prospective parents, alumni, and current students expressed confusion and frustration at the District’s handling of El Camino’s signature project and its lack of progress two years after Measure N was approved. Thank you to those of you who were able to attend and support our vision. Thanks, too, to our supporters who courageously approached the microphone to accurately and passionately state our case.

We learned FOUR valuable pieces of information:

1. Although the Board of Education has not yet voted on specifics, each high school in the district will likely receive $10 million to fund a signature project.
2. In a significant departure from past information, the new District football field and track at EC will not be charged against EC’s signature project amount.
3. After all of the community forums wrap up on November 5, district representatives will establish a budget for each high school’s project and state the priority for construction. The budgets and timelines will be presented to the Board in March 2015.
4. Although ecARTS and the El Camino Community envision a new performing arts center as a facility that will be available to all our feeder schools and community, we have been directed by the school district to refer to this project as the El Camino High School Signature Project.

The cost of our performing arts center is hard to predict without having current plans in hand.

How you can help:

1. Today is the start of our $5 million fund raising campaign. We need you to share with us the names and contact information of potential large donors ($10,000 - $1,000,000). It would be helpful if you or someone you know has a personal contact with each donor you suggest.  
2. Attend the next ecARTS meeting on Thursday, November 13 @ 7:00 p.m. in the El Camino Band room. 
3. Before you cast your vote for SJUSD board candidates on November 4, write each one an email to find out how they would vote on EC’s signature project. Two new trustees will decide the fate of our performing arts center. Candidates are:

• Incumbent Greg Paolo (greg.paulo@sanjuan.edu);   
• Michael Miller (http://www.millerschoolboard.com/contact);
• Michael Alcalay (http://www.michaelalcalay.com/contact); 
• Mike McKibbin (http://www.mikemckibbin.org/test-contact-form/);
• Paula Villescaz (http://www.paulaforschoolboard.com/contact_us).

Status update

Our last blog post was May of 2011, but rest assured we have not been idle. In fact, quite the contrary! We hired a fund raising consultant to conduct a feasibility study to determine the viability of a performing arts center on the campus of El Camino High School. First, we have a new website which fully outlines our vision.

Feasibility study results
The consultant conducted private interviews with alumni, business leaders, and community members selected based on their potential ability to donate $100,000 or more to the campaign. The findings of the study indicate that the need is real and the community is intrigued, but the facility must serve the entire San Juan Unified School District—one of ecARTS’ original stipulations. So we’re definitely on the right track.

Lack of performance space
As a follow-up to the feasibility study, we created an exhaustive list of available performance venues within a 10 mile radius of El Camino High School. The results point to a lack of affordable theater space with 500-600 seats for San Juan Unified students.

Arts programs surveys
Additionally, we surveyed the leaders of SJUSD arts programs and community-based arts programs. The overwhelming findings of these surveys indicate that groups are more than ready for a state-of-the-art theater with a professional stage, sound system, dressing rooms, reception area, and enough seats to accommodate audience members.

Where do we go from here?
Divide and conquer is our new mantra.

1.       Based on survey responses, the Design Committee has created a list of features to be included in the performing arts center with relative square footage requirements. Area architects are providing valuable input and cost estimates.

2.       The Communications Committee is working with the Boosters and PTSA at El Camino High School to develop a comprehensive database of alumni and friends.

Tell your friends, SJUSD alumni, and community businesses about ecARTS’ plan to become a hub for the arts in the Arden-Arcade area.

Exciting NEW developments at ecARTS

1) We have incorporated our organization as Perform at ecArts, Inc., a California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation. We registered the corporation with the California Secretary of State on May 19, 2010, and are currently applying for 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, as well as California tax-exempt status.

2) Save the Date:  Our kick-off gala event is scheduled for Saturday, November 20 at the Citrus Heights Community Center. The evening will feature visual and performing art students from around the SJUSD. Watch for more information!

3) Growing ecARTS: Watch for an ecARTS presentation at a PTA meeting in your school. Soon our ad will appear in your school's newsletter, too.

Next ecARTS Meeting

Our next ecARTS planning meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 22 in the El Camino Music building at 7:00 pm. Please feel free to join us.

If you are interested in our Communications & Fund Raising sub-committee, our next meeting is July 14 at 7:00 pm. Please email performatec@yahoo.com for the location.

Next Meeting of ecARTS Committee

Join us for our next meeting on June 14 at 7:00 p.m. in the El Camino Band Room.

Some highlights from our May 10 meeting:

• We have a new email address:  performatec@yahoo.com. Drop us a line!
• New Founders Campaign initiative (see Join Our Founders Club in the right column) to meet our goal of $50,000 by Dec. 31, 2010.
• Showcase of talent and silent auction planned for Fall 2010. We would like to get as many district schools as possible involved in showcasing their students' talent. Also, let us know if you have silent auction item ideas.
• The Communications and Fund Raising subcommittee meets regularly. Our next meeting is Monday, June 7. Email us at performatec@yahoo.com if you are interested in joining us.

Meeting Highlights: Dec. 14

The SJUSD district is creating a Memorandum of Understanding that will outline the performing arts center project and the responsibilities of ecARTS and the district. When the MOU is signed, we can begin the approval process for creating a “help us build our theater” mural for the west side of the band room wall (facing Eastern at the corner of El Camino Avenue and Eastern).

Design/Construction Committee:  Williams & Paddon Architects/Planners prepared a questionnaire/evaluation form for former clients for whom they have built performing arts centers soliciting feedback on their satisfaction with the building.

Communications Committee:  We voted on our new logo design and motto (see above). Many thanks to all of the students, alumni and parents who submitted designs.

Next Meeting: January 13, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.

All are welcome!

Meeting Highlights: November 9

• Volunteers are busy researching the best way for our group to incorporate so we can collect funds as a tax-exempt entity. Stay tuned. We are making progress!
• Our event committee plans to throw a grand kick-off party in the next year or so. Plans are under way to choose a date and plan this gala event. We would appreciate any contacts you may have in the event-planning and fundraising world.
• Communicating our mission to the rest of the community is an important aspect of our group. In addition to this website, you can now find us on Twitter (@PerformAtEC). Soon, our student representatives will announce our Facebook page. Additional communication plans include painting a mural on the west side of the band room (facing Eastern) announcing a future PAC on the El Camino campus (pending district approval).
• We are meeting with architects and hope to have conceptual drawings in the not-too-distant future.
• Our Design/Construction Committee met with an architect who will send survey of 25-30 questions to other schools whose PACs they designed for input on likes/dislikes of design.

 Next Meeting: Monday, December 14 at 7:00 pm in the El Camino Band Room

All are welcome!