That could all change as early as next year, however, if a grassroots organization raises 90 percent of its needed funds by January 2004.

Diana Pleasant, the school's performing arts chairwoman and the driving force behind TIP—Theater Improvement Project—says improvement costs are roughly estimated at between $1 million and $2 million.

That amount would fund upgrades such as deepening the orchestra pit, updating sound and lighting, replacing seats and constructing an entry lobby. With those changes, Pleasant envisions the theater as a facility to serve all of Los Gatos.

"It's a beautiful little house; it's a perfect size for our community," Pleasant said. "Our school is considered the cultural institution of our town, unofficially. I'd like to see our theater gain that equal grounding."

But an additional $1.2 million to $1.5 million cost will be incurred by renovating the theater to meet the requirements of bond Measure B. Those basic improvements include any construction to meet accessibility requirements set by the Americans with Disabilities Act and necessary electrical and mechanical upgrades.

As a result, Pleasant must juggle the details and costs associated with both improvement categories, working simultaneously with TIP-hired theater architect Mark Hulbert and bond architect Todd Walter.

Designing a theater that would meet both the bond-required and non-required improvements is logical "because just incorporating the bond measure into the theater and stopping makes no sense," Pleasant said. "It makes sense rather to be working together."

But working together means that the TIP committee must expedite its design process as well as fundraise on a tight deadline.

According to Walter, who works with the architecture and planning firm AEDIS, the state must give final approval for the main, music and business buildings' designs—which includes the TIP component—and end construction in October 2004 in order to meet the state's condition that all bond money be spent by 2006.

"We're moving forward on the designs of all three of the buildings," Walter said. "We're going to keep moving, moving, moving, and TIP is going to have to catch up."

Pleasant conceived TIP in 2001, when she started working with Walter on the theater portion of the bond project. What set off Pleasant's interest in non-required improvements was the need for accessibility modifications; originally, the architects had sketched a cage lift near the front of the theater. Because Pleasant's own husband had been a paraplegic for four years, the teacher was sensitive to " 'handicapping' it with dignity."

Pleasant insisted on a lift to the side of the theater, near the stage, so that the disabled person could have some "privacy to struggle."

Since Pleasant's idea went beyond the basics, it could not be funded in its entirety as part of the bond measure. Pleasant also came up with plans to bury the orchestra pit, as well as other improvements, which AEDIS architects tried to work out.

"They were very accommodating in their project to add the requirements for our program," Pleasant said. "They generously came up with two plans that ended up on the board."

In both of those plans, however, a number of the 476 existing seats had to be removed, which the school was reluctant to do. "We could not solve it. Everyone did their best," Pleasant said.

Enter Mark Hulbert. The school's New Millennium Foundation—which is the umbrella organization for TIP—learned of Hulbert's work on Campbell's Heritage Theatre and asked him to take a look at the Los Gatos High facility.

"He came down as a favor and then got hooked by our theater," Pleasant said. "He was also just charmed by Los Gatos."

Hulbert says he walked in during a recital and was struck by the "great acoustics" of the theater but realized that the building didn't work for drama presentations. As an architect with experience designing theaters as well as preserving old buildings, Hulbert says the proposed designs are "modest and accomplishable."

Unlike the AEDIS plans, Hulbert has drawn a design that adds on to the building on the High School Court side, allowing for new dressing rooms, a new loading dock and shop area and a new lobby, "which is one element that does embellish the theater a bit," Hulbert said.

Although the new lobby will be the most expensive part of the project, Pleasant says it's "the part of the project that the community will see and appreciate the most." Students can use the area for sales of items such as prom bids and fundraisers, and theatergoers will be able to purchase tickets and concessions from that section.

"The wish list for this theater is to create some bona fide and additional entry space," Hulbert said.

"Many of the improvements will be invisible and the audience will be unaware of them, but that's a sign of a good theater," Pleasant said.

The TIP committee, a subcommittee of the New Millennium Foundation that consists of community leaders, was formed when Pleasant started calling people more than two years ago to enlist support.

The committee includes Paul Dubois, retired Los Gatos High School teachers Judy Bingman and Paul Bostwick, New Millennium Chairwoman Joanne Rodgers, parents of students and Los Gatos Mayor Sandy Decker, who "is keeping her eyes open on ways to form a partnership with the town without compromising the needs of the school," Pleasant said.

"I may have thought twice about getting involved if it weren't for that extremely dedicated group of people and how serious they were about it," Hulbert said. "And without someone like Diana [Pleasant], something like this would never have happened. It's delightful, actually."

The Los Gatos­Saratoga Union High School District board on Feb. 4 gave TIP approval to proceed with its work on the final schematics and start incorporating the engineering details.

But the biggest hurdle is fundraising. TIP has raised $20,000 to date, from Kuleto's grand opening in December. The restaurant sold more than 300 tickets for an evening of wine and hors d'oeuvres, donating all proceeds, minus expenses, to TIP.

"That's the strength of our community," Pleasant said. "They will come and pay a lot of money for a community project."

Next, a professional fundraiser will make a presentation to TIP; and the group will apply for grants, look to private donations, sell plaques for new theater seats and participate in student fundraising events.

Pleasant also has a July 3 all-town talent show in the works. So far, Pleasant has recruited Mayor Decker, Vice Mayor Steve Glickman, Los Gatos High administrators, members of the New Millennium board and some Los Gatos post office workers to be in the cast. "No one has said no," Pleasant said.

The youth, on the other hand, will serve as the crew and techies of the production, which will likely take place in the theater and sell for $150 a seat.

"It just occurred to me that July 3 would be a great way to tie into that hometown spirit," Pleasant said.

Pleasant's dream is to have a theater that is used by the school and the town but also rented out to local groups for the roughly 164 days each year that it is not in use.

"It will be able to turn around its usage so that hopefully we can have a business plan to generate some funds," Pleasant told the district board.

Superintendent Cindy Ranni added that the project would not actually go out to bid until 90 percent of the funds are raised, but she encouraged the board to support the project "rather than drop this tremendous opportunity."