Reflecting on a school year full of good things

Angelique Flores

High test scores. School modernization. More technology. All these

things add up to a good school year.

Last school year saw the four local school districts ranking higher

overall than the national average on the Stanford 9 exam. They also

outperformed the state’s and the county’s overall average.

Fountain Valley School District had the highest scores among the local

districts and was among the top three scoring districts in the county.

Ocean View School District saw leaps in its scores, with jumps between 8%

and 10%.

Ocean View also made a strong showing in the Governor’s Reading Award

Program, with 12 of its 15 schools swiping $5,000 grants from the state

for their reading performance. Harbour View Elementary School placed

first among 750 schools in the state that competed in the challenge.

Another major victory went to the Ocean View district with the defeat

of Measure I, which secured the development of a Wal-Mart at the closed

Crest View school. A five-year battle came to an end when 54.1% of the

city’s voters said no to rezoning the closed school to a residential

zone, which would have blocked Wal-Mart’s plan to build a store there.

“That’s good to be over,” Supt. James Tarwater said.

The district plans to use $400,000 in initial income from the lease

for facility improvement projects. Construction of Wal-Mart will begin in

September, and it’s scheduled to open in the spring.

The Fountain Valley district also made plans for one of its closed

sites. The district, along with the city, will develop a senior center

and senior housing at the closed Fountain Valley Elementary School. The

city will continue mapping out the project, which is near the end of its

planning stages.

The plan is expected to include 150 affordable senior apartments and a

senior center. The district expects the lease to bring in $300,000

annually, which would be used to upgrade facilities at its other schools.

Last school year, the Fountain Valley district resurfaced some of its

schools’ blacktops and painted many buildings.

Meanwhile, Huntington Beach City School District opened the new

Huntington Sea Cliff Elementary last fall. With enrollment having reached

a plateau, the district centered its attention on repairs.

“Last year’s focus was on and will remain on modernization of our

facilities, and how to accomplish that in our most financially efficient

way,” said Huntington Beach City School District Supt. Duane Dishno.

Hawes, Kettler and Moffett elementary schools, as well as Dwyer and

Sowers middle schools, saw some repainting. The water line was also

replaced at Eader Elementary School.

To continue work on the district’s aging buildings, officials have

been discussing whether to put a bond on the ballot. No formal decision

has been made, but the school board hasn’t ruled it out.

Dishno said he is confident the board members support a bond measure.

Plans will continue to move forward on the assumption that funds will be

there one way or another.

Huntington Beach Union High School District lost its bond measure in

November. However, Supt. Susan Roper wasn’t entirely disappointed because

the district did receive 61.5% favorable votes. The measure needed

two-thirds to pass.

“It’s still quite an accomplishment,” she said.

While the district didn’t receive the bond, it did receive state funds

to help with school repairs. The state granted the district $40 million.

Work on Huntington Beach, Marina and Westminster schools will begin this

year. Some of the repairs include retrofitting, electrical upgrades, roof

repairs, and safety and handicap accessibility.

Last year, the high school district worked cooperatively with the city

to develop an aquatics facility plan for pools at Ocean View and

Huntington Beach high schools. Construction on the Huntington Beach High

pool is expected to get underway in February.

Despite aging buildings, the students are still shining.

SAT scores at all of the high schools went up for the fourth year.

Kettler, College View and Village View elementary schools were named

California Distinguished Schools last year. Kettler is a school in the

Huntington Beach City School District, and College View and Village View

are in the Ocean View district.

Further recognition went to the Ocean View district last year when Oak

View Elementary School received a commendation from the state on its

Coordinated Compliance Review evaluation. The school will also open a

preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds. Funding for the preschool will come a

grant from the state. Ocean View was the only district in the county to

receive the grant.

“I feel good about last year,” Tarwater said.

So does Roper.

The Huntington Beach Union High School District began a new program,

Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment, to provide assistance to new

teachers.

The district also launched a pilot program to reduce the size of

freshman English classes at Marina and Ocean View high schools. This

year, Westminster will also reduce its classes. The district will assess

the program at the end of the upcoming school year, officials said.

Edison High School completed its wiring to meet the state’s Digital

High School requirements. Huntington Beach, Marina and Westminster high

schools are next in line for the wiring. Eventually, all schools will be

wired to be Digital High Schools.

The district worked to improve communication through brochures,

newsletters and voicemails in all of the schools. Those efforts will be

up and running next month.

Finally, elementary schools aren’t the only ones attacking the

problems of students at risk of failing to meet educational standards.

The high school district brought together a strategic plan and programs

that will be implemented this year.

And all districts are looking forward to another successful school

year, once again focusing attention on programs for at-risk students,

moving forward with technology, and repairing and upgrading old buildings

so they’re like new again.