On Tuesday, March 5, Measure A will be placed on the ballot for Marin voters. Measure A, a $517 million infrastructure bond, aims to improve both sports facilities and vital systems such as heating and air conditioning within the Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD).
The bond, if approved, will remove the portables along the creek at the back of the Archie Williams campus. The portables have become a flood risk in recent years and now sit vacant, only in use for storage since being deemed hazardous. Measure A funds would demolish these portables and install new outdoor learning decks.
Michael Rawlins teaches Social Studies and SEA-DISC at Archie Williams. Rawlins helps run the Creek Restoration project within SEA-DISC, and he believes that the removal of the portables alongside the creek could have a positive impact on the creek’s overall health.
“The Creek Restoration project has really become a legacy project of our community. I think getting the portables out of the way could really open it up so people can see this beautiful creek space that we are lucky enough to have on our campus,” Rawlins said.
Many buildings on Archie Williams campus have inefficient heating systems, and most classrooms do not have air conditioning. Science and SEA-DISC teacher Clarke Bugbee does not have air conditioning in his classroom. Bugbee hopes that, through Measure A, Archie Williams will be able to provide environmentally friendly air conditioning to every classroom.
“The way the climate is going, there is a lot of room for growth in most schools … [but] they require money to do that. [However,] if we are willing to make those changes, we can make our systems more user and environmentally friendly,” Bugbee said.
Measure A will also allot funding for the football, baseball, and softball fields to be resurfaced with new synthetic turf. Archie Williams Assistant Athletic Director Marla Murphy believes that the improvements will be significant at Archie Williams.
“The softball field has needed to be upgraded for a long time because the drainage on that field is not good. It will be an upgrade for all of them for sure. Our fields just don’t last forever,” Murphy said.
Measure A is a crucial step in improving TUHSD facilities. Archie Williams students could see substantial changes from these funds, as both classroom spaces and sports facilities would receive significant upgrades.
