By Jason KUROSU

Since the approval of Measure S in April, a bond measure whose funds will be used to improve and upgrade the facilities and technology of schools within the Glendale Unified School District, district officials have been working to pinpoint specific projects and to prioritize needs and wants before looking for approval from the state.

District officials held a School Site Stakeholders Meeting Wednesday morning at Glendale High School in order to discuss the current plans for alterations on certain campuses and to hear suggestions from members of the public. Present at the meeting were GUSD Planning, Development & Facilities Administrator Margaret Brown and two architects involved with the improvements, Mark Gelsinger and Joe Alguire.

Referring to lists of needs at each campus, Brown said, “We are trying to clarify the needs at each school and then go back and make sure our lists are complete. Except that our lists aren’t complete until we get your input today.”

Brown informed the audience of what the process towards making these Measure S alterations has entailed so far, including the surveying of school sites and creation of condition assessments in June.

Numerous proposed changes to facilities throughout the district were showcased via blueprints and rough drawings, many of which included many changes to outdoor sections of the campuses, expanding fields and accessibility to those fields. Part of expanding the open outdoor space includes the elimination of portable classrooms, a prevalent sight on many of the district’s campuses. Nine schools have been designated for the removal of portables. As part of the Overcrowded Relief Grant Program, many of these portables will be replaced with one or two-story buildings.

Adjustments to the fields themselves, such as greenscaping, landscaping, trees and even synthetic turf, were also discussed including a plethora of changes to Hoover’s football field.

Alguire, the architect who is overseeing the changes to Hoover among other schools, pointed out that the process of making these changes will be a lengthy one, stating that it will take the division of state architect about six months to review projects and additional time to plan when to start construction and not have it interfere with regular school operations.

Brown urged patience.

“The pain you suffer during construction is much less than the pleasure you will receive from using these facilities.”

  Jason Kurosu