Wear and tear threatens the classroom

Lana Miller

Imagine 35 teenagers in your living room, five days a week, 10 hours

a day, using your bathroom, 10 months a year. I suspect after just

one week, your home would really show some wear and tear.

Multiply that more than 45 times and you have a high school, full

of students and teachers, five days a week, at least 10 hours a day,

10 months of the year. Imagine the general wear and tear that happens

there. A daily cleaning is not enough to keep up with that type of

use, and like our homes, daily maintenance can only go so far.

Measure C for classroom repair is needed right now.

Our high schools are in dire need of updates and repairs. Imagine

my surprise when my son attended my high school 22 years after me,

and the carpet is still the same as it was when I was there! Some of

our schools have major structural problems and leaks, lead paint,

asbestos and non-tempered glass. We would never live with that in our

home, why would we allow our children to do their learning in it?

Studies have proven a good environment is a productive

environment. What type of environment are we providing for our

children, let alone the teachers and classified personnel who are

there long after the four years our children spend there? We need to

make our schools safe and productive for the future leaders of our

society. What are we teaching them if we choose not to step up and

show them that we take pride in their school environment as much as

we expect them to take pride in their own bedroom? The children are

the responsibility of every citizen, not just those who live with

them. Is everyone aware that schools are no longer paid when a child

is legitimately out sick for the day? Imagine how much money the

district lost with the recent flu. I know I would miss the money if

it were my budget.

We are past the Band-Aid solutions and need the big overhaul

projects to be done. Measure C is written explicitly to cover that

task. We cannot depend on state funding to help us anymore, we all

need to take responsibility now. Good schools help the value of our

home, our community, and all of our students and teachers. It is at

the very end of your ballot, but please support Measure C on March 2.

* LANA MILLER is a Huntington Beach resident. To contribute to

“Sounding Off,” e-mail us at hbindy@latimes.com or fax us at (714)

965-7174.