EDITORIAL:Class upgrades deserve an ‘A’

Summer is turning out to be busy on Huntington Beach school campuses. But it isn’t about books being leafed through, lessons being taught or math equations being solved. The work is much more basic and every bit as important.

Schools in all three districts in the city ? Huntington Beach City, Huntington Beach Union High School and Ocean View ? are getting minor and major makeovers, which are being funded by state bond money, including 2004’s Measure C. Among the biggest are a new classroom building at Ocean View High School, a new main building at Dwyer Middle School and the removal of asbestos from Marine View Middle School. Throughout all the campuses, work is being done to modernize classrooms and make them safer in the case of earthquakes. Each is a project that needs to be done to ensure that our children get the best possible education they can.

This is the type of work that voters imagined would be begun ? and completed ? when they approved the Measure C bond back in 2004. That state money is paying for the projects is the added bonus; Huntington Beach is getting its fair share of dollars for mandatory, crucial work.

Some people may argue that the cosmetic changes being made aren’t exactly critical. But anyone who has ever worked (or studied) in less than ideal conditions would agree with Scott Stark, Ocean View’s chief operations and facilities officer: “When we put in new carpeting, new painting, fresh lighting and modern drop ceilings, it can only help to enhance the educational environment for students. The inside will be much fresher and much brighter.”

Our students deserve such enhancements. And while the work is not a replacement for excellent teaching, parent involvement and top-notch course offerings, it is a solid and smart investment in our kids’ future.

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