Measure A upgrades set to begin

Deirdre Newman

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the school house,

Not a student was stirring, not even a mouse,

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that Measure A improvements soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of newly painted classrooms danced in their heads.

...

NEWPORT-MESA -- Two-and-a-half years after voters overwhelmingly

approved Measure A, the school district’s facility improvement

program is gearing up for the home stretch. Over winter break,

temporary housing will be completely installed at the majority of

schools that are part of the first phase, while construction is

slated to begin in early February.

“It’s a thrill. It’s the reality of a dream,” said Jill Money, a

Corona del Mar parent who worked on the Measure A campaign in early

2000.

Design and construction for the improvements have been broken down

into four phases over a period of five years. Twenty-eight district

schools will be modernized. Health and safety and disabled access

compliance are the top two priorities at each school.

While the bond provided $110 million, the district will receive a

portion of $63 million in state matching funds since the state’s

Proposition 47 passed in November. The district will be eligible to

get the rest if a similar statewide bond passes in 2004. The district

added $2 million in deferred maintenance funds to the program,

bringing the grand total of the project to $173.3 million.

All schools will receive upgrades, including:

* seismic strengthening of structures;

* handicap-accessible drinking fountains;

* repair of stucco and painting of campus;

* replacement of most doors and doorknobs to make them more

handicap accessible; and

* and replacement of all ceilings in permanent classrooms.

The first phase includes six elementary schools and two high

schools.

At Mariners Elementary School in Newport Beach, teacher Diane

Boeck has hung curtains next to some cabinets to provide more storage

space. As part of the facilities improvements, the curtains will come

down and new cabinets will be installed.

Also, as with the other campuses, the electrical power will be

tripled. This will be especially helpful at Mariners, because when

all of the computers are turned on in the school’s computer room, it

trips the circuit breaker, said Dave Byrd, project manager at

McCarthy, the company coordinating the comprehensive construction

effort.

If the budget allows, Mariners will also get new entry gates, a

new fire department access lane and the replacement of old

relocatable classrooms.

At Kaiser Elementary School in Costa Mesa, an old locker room that

was transformed into classrooms will be gutted because the classrooms

were not the standard size for an elementary school.

If the budget allows, the school will also get a new restroom

building, replacement of eight modular classrooms and improvement of

the fire department access lane.

Measure A construction officials stressed that most of the

improvements will be imperceptible except the new paint jobs all the

schools will receive.

“Parents won’t see [the changes], except, hopefully, on the report

cards,” said Rob Ragland, McCarthy project director. “Things like

better heat will make the students more comfortable.”

When construction starts on the first phase schools, only

one-third of each campus will undergo construction at a time. The

students affected first will move right into the interim classrooms

when they return to school in January so they won’t be disrupted when

the construction starts. Costa Mesa High School is the only school in

the first phase where construction is not slated to begin until the

summer.

... But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

“Happy facilities improvements to all Phase 1 schools,

and to all a good-night!”

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.