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.