Building pride at our schools

All that money and no new teachers?

It sounds like something to criticize, but there’s plenty good to

be said about structural improvements like new gyms, theaters and

labs.

Schools typically spend every dime on getting the best teachers

possible, the necessary books and computers, so it’s good to have

specific funds for maintenance and improvements.

The more than $57 million spent on modernizing district schools

was something the district couldn’t have come up with itself. The

money came from a combination of state modernization grants and a

$39-million local school bond passed in 2001.

In a city like Laguna Beach, there’s no excuse for the Downtown

area to get more attention than the schools.

You need to be comfortable in your environment to focus on your

studies. An overheated or freezing child has a hard time

concentrating on which number to carry.

Let’s not forget safety. Parents need to be able to trust that the

buildings children are in all day are earthquake-safe and

structurally sound -- and of course students like to know the toilets

will flush.

In the beginning, there were concerns about going over budget and

completing construction during the school year. Much effort went into

not having much construction while students were around, and it seems

the efforts paid off. Some complaints were made about extra dust and

dirt during construction, and there are still issues about the

appearance of some buildings and one baseball fence. But for the most

part, complaints were minimal.

The construction was a large undertaking and was handled well.

It’s something to be proud of as a board that oversaw it and a

community that supported it.