LAGUNA BEACH : Board Gets School Reconstruction Plan

Reconstruction plans for the aging Laguna Beach High School, which was built in 1934, were presented to the Laguna Beach Unified School District Board of Education this week.

The approximately $7-million project, which is scheduled to begin in June, will modernize the school by reorganizing most of the campus and by demolishing several old buildings and replacing them with new ones, said Ronald M. Clement, director of construction services.

“This campus was built in the early 1930s and there haven’t been many changes or revisions since then,” Clement said. “Some buildings got old and the facilities we have are outdated. We are also trying to utilize space as best we can.”

The two-year construction schedule, which will be done in two phases, may cause some temporary inconvenience for the school’s 700 students, but classes will not be interrupted, Clement said.

The first phase of the project will involve asbestos removal and the demolition of two buildings in an area of campus where a new swimming pool complex will be built.

The swimming pool construction will be partially funded by the city of Laguna Beach, which will also have access to the facility for swim meets and community events, Clement said.

The school’s existing pool, which is located in the center of the campus, will be filled in and transformed into a courtyard area.

The plan also calls for the construction of a new library and media center, two new classroom buildings, and a new cafeteria and faculty dining room.

In the interim, the school’s cafeteria will be moved to the existing snack bar area and two portable classrooms have been placed on campus to accommodate classes affected by the project.

The new facilities will also include state-of-the-art computer equipment and new science classrooms, in addition to an overall upgrading of the school’s handicapped facilities.

The final phase of the project involves the $1-million remodeling of the Artists’ Theater, a campus facility that is used for testing, assemblies and student drama productions.

The district is hoping that private donations will help pay this portion of the reconstruction, since it has not been completely funded. So far, $650,000 has been raised.

The theater’s upgrading will allow the facility to be rented out to regional and community theater groups for drama productions, Clement said.

Despite the modernization, Clement said the school will continue to look much like its old self.

“We are very sensitive to maintaining the integrity and character of the surrounding neighborhood,” Clement said. “Our plan is to keep the design flavor of the school intact and integrate it into the fabric of the community.”