Opening of classes shuts door on summer

Deirdre Newman

NEWPORT-MESA -- It’s the first day of school at Estancia High School,

and the air conditioning in the principal’s office is absent for the day.

But Tom Antal isn’t even breaking a sweat. Cool, calm and collected,

Antal strides the hallways, helping students find classrooms, setting up

meetings with staff and making sure the day is running smoothly.

“It’s great to see the process of education underway again,” Antal

said, adding that the planning starts as soon as the last day of school

ends.

For administrators in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, the

first day of school on Tuesday was a chance to evaluate enrollment to

determine if more or fewer teachers are needed. In some district schools,

a burgeoning number of students are crowding classrooms, creating

challenges for teachers.

“I can’t believe how overcrowded our classrooms are,” said Jennifer

Hodgson, a fourth-grade teacher at Rea Elementary School. “There’s a lot

of bodies, but not a lot of desks and chairs. It added a lot of

frustration, but we managed pretty well.”

Principal Ken Killian estimated Rea’s enrollment at 780. The actual

classroom count on Tuesday turned out to be 762, said Tom Carr, a

district administrator who is helping to run the school. But Carr said

there are also a significant number of new students whom the school did

not expect.

“If the numbers continue to rise, we may have to add a couple more

classes,” Carr said. “Hopefully we’ll know more by Friday.”

At Estancia, Antal said the enrollment of 1,300 -- including special

education students -- is right on target so far.

But that may change as the week progresses, Carr said.

“There’s a long line of students who want to register but haven’t told

us yet, and some people don’t even think of registering until school

actually opens,” Carr said.

For students, the first day of school is an opportunity to engage in

time-honored traditions such as meeting new teachers, reconnecting with

old friends and trading their lunches.

At Victoria Elementary School, Cassandra Clubb was adjusting to her

new status and coveted the expertise that comes with being a

fifth-grader.

“It’s very weird being the person everyone looks up to,” Clubb said. *

Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949) 574-4221 or

by e-mail at o7 deirdra.newman@latimes.comf7 .