A long time in school
Michael Miller
When Bruce Crockard entered Costa Mesa High School in 1959, it was
far less crowded than it is today. By modern standards, it was also
dirt cheap -- construction cost a mere $1.5 million of taxpayers’
money.
That first year at Costa Mesa High, freshmen from Costa Mesa and
Newport Beach attended the newly built school on a 70-acre parcel
that once housed an air base. Crockard’s class had only
ninth-graders, many of whom moved to Newport Harbor High School the
next year. The school, then having only 12 classrooms, needed the
extra crowd to make ends meet.
“The area wasn’t nearly as populated [as today],” Crockard said.
“In those days, there was no Fashion Island or Irvine Terrace. It’s
interesting how quickly an area grows over time, and how easily we
become accustomed to what it is.”
Over the last half-century, Crockard, 60, has seen plenty of
changes in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District -- and grown
accustomed to a number of things as well. When he retires from his
post as classified personnel director Thursday, he will have been in
the district, in one capacity or another, for 48 years.
“I certainly think, for people who are new to the entire area,
there has to be the history,” said Newport-Mesa spokeswoman Jane
Garland. “We do have a number of people who have been in the system
30, 35 years, but the fact that he’s seen it through the eyes of a
student, teacher and administrator is really unique.”
Crockard is one of several Newport-Mesa administrators leaving
this month. In addition to him, the district will bid farewell to
Assistant Supt. of Secondary Education Jaime Castellanos, Secondary
Curriculum Director Barry Barowitz and Special Education Director
Patrick Ryan.
The one with experience
As one who began as an Ensign Intermediate School seventh-grader
in 1957, though, Crockard surpasses them all in experience. A 1962
graduate of Newport Harbor High, he attended Newport-Mesa schools
before the district even existed. Three years after Crockard’s
commencement, the Costa Mesa Union School District, Newport Beach
City School District and Newport Harbor Union High School District
united.
Crockard received a bachelor’s degree in English and an elementary
education credential from Cal State Long Beach, then returned to
teach at now-defunct Corona del Mar Elementary. In subsequent years,
he served as principal of Andersen, Mariners and Lincoln elementary
schools before taking his current job as classified personnel
director.
Supt. Robert Barbot said that Crockard, who oversees clerical
workers, groundskeepers and other noncertified personnel, has offered
to stay extra days during the summer while the district looks for a
replacement. So far, Newport-Mesa has received nearly 30 qualified
applicants for the job.
“Bruce is pretty much a unique person,” Barbot said. “He wants
things to be done right, but also ethically and with detail.”
Time for Sailing
A Los Angeles native who grew up in Newport Beach, Crockard said
that after leaving Newport-Mesa, he planned to dedicate his time to
sailing and volunteering for charity organizations.
“Every time I’ve moved to a new job in the district, I’ve asked
myself, ‘Why am I leaving what I’m currently doing?’” Crockard said.
“It’s because I love the new challenges, and that’s how I feel about
retiring. I’m looking forward to the new challenge.”
* MICHAEL MILLER covers education and may be reached at (714)
966-4617 or by e-mail at michael.miller@latimes.com.
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