By Mary O’KEEFE

The Glendale school board approved construction at several schools throughout the district as part of Measure S funding.

The district administration had a “job walk” through Crescenta Valley High School (CVHS) on Tuesday regarding the installation of stadium seating and lighting at the school. Four companies offered bids for the CVHS job; it was awarded to Hart Design Build, Inc., which was the lowest bidder at $3,570,000 million. This cost includes installing bleachers, a scoreboard and lighting in addition to track resurfacing, parking and restroom upgrades, fencing, grading and utility work. The original budget was set at $8.54 million; however, the actual construction costs are estimated at $5.02 million.

The construction will begin very soon now that the board has given its approval. It is expected to be completed by June 2024.

Measure S funds will also be used for projects at Monte Vista Elementary School. The board approved a wrought iron fencing project in the amount of $28,400, which increases the project to $355,400 – funded by Measure S. In addition, Monte Vista will have a new two-story building on its campus. The tentative construction schedule should see the foundation for the building laid by late this month/early September. The building is scheduled to be erected by mid-September and the site completion is expected to be early January 2024.

After a long road, Hoover High School looks like it will be getting its pool expansion.

In March 2018, the board approved a project and budget allocating $5 million for the pool expansion; then in June 2021 the board approved additional funding of $3.225 million to move forward with the project. It is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2023 and completed at the end of 2024.

In addition, Measure S funds are scheduled or are already in the process of funding improvements including at the Marshall Elementary multi-purpose room/cafeteria, Clark Magnet High School’s Career Technical Education building and the expansion of the CVHS pool. A number of other projects are planned including asphalt paving and playground improvements at Cerritos and Glenoaks elementary schools, roof replacement at Wilson Middle School, a walk-in freezer at Hoover High as well as at Muir Elementary. At Lincoln Elementary a new reading area will be installed on what was once an unusable stretch of concrete and Rosemont Middle School will be getting new HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning).

Several schools will have, or already have, new fencing including at Monte Vista, Lincoln and La Crescenta elementary schools, the field at Toll Middle School and CVHS.

There is an estimated $4.45 million balance of Measure S funds remaining.

During GUSD public comment on Tuesday, speakers continued voicing their concerns of the curriculum being taught at schools. A couple of speakers mentioned books that they said were part of the curriculum or in school libraries. Board member Nayiri Nahabedian and interim Superintendent Dr. Darneika Watson both stated that the books, “Gender Queer” and “You Don’t Have to Like Me” were not “in our schools and not taught to our kids.”

CVW once again reached out to GUSD regarding this issue and was told there had been an extensive investigation and these books were not found to be in any GUSD libraries and were not being taught within the curriculum of the district.