Los Alamitos Unified School District board members received their first update on modernizations at both Los Alamitos Elementary and McAuliffe Middle School during the July 13 meeting.
Both projects, which began with the closing of school last month, are part of the Measure K Bond package which voters approved in November 2008. A lot of work has been completed in the three weeks since school ended.
Richard Ingrassia with Rachlin Architects said both schools’ infrastructure will be replaced over the next 15 months with new heating and ventilation systems, voice and data systems and others along with new flooring, ceilings and wall coverings. New Americans with Disability Act upgrades to the restrooms and ramps around campus will be completed as well.
Work on each campus has been divided up into five phases with work expected to be completed Aug. 26, 2011 in time for the start of the 2011-12 school year.
Infrastructure work on the LAE site is 50-percent complete, according to a staff report. Ingrassia said three portables are being removed at the school this summer and replaced. Demolition work on the portable buildings ranges from half to 100-percent complete. Asbestos abatement has been completed on one of the buildings and the building demolished.
One of the old classrooms is being turned into a temporary Administration building while the new one is being worked on. The temporary one is nearly finished, which will allow staff to continue work on the 2010-11 school year. The new permanent structure is expected to be completed around Oct. 1, Ingrassia said.
Before school got out, ideas on what color palettes to use for the renovation were taken to give students and staff some pride in ownership. “We’re very comfortable with what has been chosen,” Ingrassia said.
Next door at McAuliffe, much of the same work will be completed including improvements to the restrooms to make them more ADA accessible. The school’s elevator will be redone as well, according to Andrew Ulmen with Rachlin Architects, who worked on the McGaugh Elementary renovation as well.
With the new construction, work is beginning on mitigating sound issues at the school with new wood frames, walls and insulation being installed in the buildings. Ulmen said previously three sheets of drywall put together was the only sound barrier in many cases.
This summer, Building A is being worked on with demolition of the building and its staircase abut half done. Interim classrooms for the fall have been installed. Students and teachers will be moved into the classrooms as work on their area of campus continues.
As part of its 40-minute meeting, the board also approved a list of six priorities for the upcoming school year. Members met with a consultant from the California School Board Association at a workshop earlier this month to refine priorities.
They are: Increasing academic excellence for all students; ensure a safe, drug free and healthy environment; maximize financial resources responsibly; modernize, maximize and maintain District facilities; enhance, maintain and support technology and enhance communication processes to engage, inform and educate all stakeholders.
The board will next meet on Tuesday, Aug. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Board Room, 10293 Bloomfield. The public is invited to attend.
