VENTURA : Volunteers Give School a Face Lift

Last fall, the cafeteria at Ventura’s Montalvo Elementary School was “dingy yellow, stained from grease and years of smoke from food preparation,” Principal Marie Atmore said.

Now, the cafeteria is a sparkling blue and white, and much of the rest of the school has been refurbished, thanks to the efforts of the Ventura Board of Realtors, the PTA and scores of parent and student volunteers.

Recently, about 100 volunteers installed new carpeting in two portable classrooms, began installation of a new water-saving drip-irrigation system and painted a brightly colored map of the United States on the playground, among other improvements.

Montalvo, identified by the realty board as one of the city schools most in need of renovation, was adopted under the board’s Adopt-a-School program, said Susan Herrick, who oversees the program.

Last school year, the board adopted Saticoy Elementary, and about $46,000 in goods and services was donated to that school, Herrick said.

At Montalvo, the donations are worth an estimated $50,000, Herrick said.

The school’s front lawn has been re-landscaped, safety areas and doors were painted and trees have been removed, she said.

Volunteers did the work on Saturdays, beginning last spring.

“When we went to the school originally, we were overwhelmed by what had to be done,” Herrick said.

Although the school was founded in 1889, none of the original buildings are standing, Atmore said.

Montalvo’s oldest building dates to 1936, and the rest of the school was built in the 1950s, she said.

Montalvo PTA President Michele Durham said the efforts are “improving the morale of the children and the teachers. It’s really exciting all around.”