School’s start will be delayed a week

Deirdre Newman

Unexpected problems unearthed while renovating Harbor View Elementary

School will delay the opening of the school by four days.

Instead of the excited patter of students reverberating through

the halls on Sept. 2, when the other district schools open their

doors, Harbor View will be dormant until Sept. 8.

The culprit?

The discovery of termites, dry rot and higher quantities of

asbestos and lead than expected.

Harbor View, ensconced in a residential Corona del Mar

neighborhood, is one of seven schools renovated this year as part of

the Measure A modernization program. It is the only one whose opening

is delayed.

The delay did not occur because the use of jackhammers will

continue during that first week of school, but instead to give

teachers ample time to set up their elaborate learning environments,

said Assistant Supt. Paul Reed. Teachers can’t get into their

classrooms until the construction is done.

“It’s a veritable fairyland teachers create and it takes time,”

Reed said. “It’s not conducive to say on Labor Day, ‘go to it.”

Voters overwhelmingly approved the $110-million Measure A

construction bond in June 2000. The funds have been spread out and

applied to the neediest areas at the schools.

Construction on the first schools broke ground in April, but the

bulk of the work could not be done until the students cleared out in

June.

Harbor View opened in 1953. Reed said the myriad problems plaguing

the elementary school were not discovered until the walls and roofs

were opened. The asbestos was found intact so it did not pose a

health risk to Harbor View students, Reed added.

“It [was] not a health issue until we went in to disturb it,” Reed

said.

Another challenge popped up when the main walkway was torn out to

provide handicapped access. Construction workers found that the

utilities needed to be rerouted because they were only put in one

foot deep instead of six feet, Reed said.

As of late last week, the district was scrambling to open the

school on time, but decided this week to push back the opening until

the following week.

Principal Mellissia Christensen feverishly worked the phones

Tuesday calling all the teachers to let them know. Parents were

notified Tuesday night.

Christensen said she fielded many questions from curious parents

over the past few weeks wondering if the school would be ready on

time.

“It’s not going to surprise a lot of people,” Christensen said of

the delay. “I think [parents] would rather the kids are safe and we

get off to a positive start.”

The next phase of construction at Harbor View will start after the

school year is underway. But the rooms involved will be segmented off

and temporary buildings have already been set up for the students who

will be displaced, Reed said.

Because the students will lose four days at the beginning of the

year, they will most likely be added on at the end of the year, Reed

said.

A meeting will take place at 4 p.m. today at the school to answer

questions and concerns about the delay.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)

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