Have questions about the future of Georgia Brown Elementary School? Ask them here
The future of Georgia Brown Elementary School in Paso Robles, once thought settled, has been thrown into the unknown yet again.
The dual immersion Spanish-English language elementary school in northern San Luis Obispo County was set to be remodeled to fix leaky ceilings, a persistent cockroach problem, cracked sidewalks and unsafe playgrounds.
However, state-required site surveys found an unknown feature deep underground that could be an earthquake fault under the 1940s-era elementary school. It could also be remnants of an old riverbed, according to the school district.
To continue with its $15.5 million remodel plans, the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District must now dig a large trench on the campus to figure out if there is a seismic risk to the school. That trench would likely be about 30 feet deep, 3 feet wide and 150 feet long, according to the school district.
The first cost estimate the district received for that work was about $294,000. The district is continuing to solicit bids to determine whether the trench could be dug for a cheaper cost.
The cost and time to investigate the geologic anomaly has caused some disarray in the community as parents, teachers and district officials express concerns about whether the remodel of Georgia Brown should still go on.
If the school is found to sit on a fault line, it’s likely the district must rework the remodel plans, including possibly paying for seismic retrofits and changing the layout of the campus.
Curt Dubost, superintendent of the Paso Robles school district, said during a Tuesday evening school board meeting that he thinks the elementary school campus could be remodeled into a public charter school.
Laurene McCoy, one of the seven board members at the district, suggested during a May 23 school board meeting that Georgia Brown students be moved into the Winifred Pifer Elementary School campus in Paso Robles during the 2024-25 school year, and then the Georgia Brown campus be turned into a school for kindergarten through 8th grade.
Those comments caused concern among community members during a school board meeting Tuesday. Community members noted during public comment that they had little clear information about what the future of the Georgia Brown campus could be.
The school district will hold a town hall meeting to discuss the options it has regarding Georgia Brown on Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. at Paso Robles High School. That comes a day before the school board’s scheduled meeting on Aug. 8, where the board could make a decision on the future of the school.
The Tribune would like to hear your questions about the future of Georgia Brown Elementary School. We will take these questions and ask district staff directly for answers to help better inform the community on the future of the school.
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