EARTHQUAKE: THE LONG ROAD BACK : Most Public Schools Reopen in Santa Clarita : Recovery: Three damaged sites remain closed. CalArts damage, originally estimated at $50 million, is put at $10 million.

Most public classrooms opened for the first time here since last week’s 6.6-magnitude earthquake scattered desks, toppled bulletin boards and damaged some school facilities beyond immediate repair.

Good news was also heard at the California Institute of the Arts campus in Valencia.

Contradicting an earlier report by city officials that CalArts had suffered $50 million in damages, Anita Bonnell, CalArts director of public affairs, said the figure was less than $10 million.

City Public Information Officer Gail Foy said the city’s numbers were based on a preliminary assessment by the city’s building inspectors.

Administrators and faculty toured the campus Monday to survey the damage and discuss when classes can resume. Bonnell said arrangements are being made for satellite classrooms at several Santa Clarita locations.

“Damage was widespread throughout the (campus),” said Bonnell. “It’s just a lot of mess right now. Like your own home, only across 1,300 rooms.”

CalArts was in the first week of its spring semester when the earthquake struck. Graduation has been postponed from May 13 to May 27.

While most Santa Clarita public schools reopened Monday, a few--Hart High School and Placerita Junior High School, of the William S. Hart Union High School District, and Rosedell Elementary School, of the Saugus Union School District--remain closed.

Hart district schools suffered almost $8 million in damages, Supt. Walt Swanson said.

School staff who returned to work Monday kept watch for any psychological impacts the quake may have had.

It’s difficult to tell what the impact of the quake and its aftershocks have had on students, said Mary Morris, school psychologist for the Hart district.

“The comments we’re getting are more of ‘Let’s get back to the business at hand,’ ” said Morris. “Some (students) we are watching. They’re not saying anything, but you can see it in their eyes.”

Rosedell remains closed while officials in the Saugus Union School District check for uncontained asbestos. Three other schools were checked for asbestos last week and were found to be safe.

Saugus district Supt. Troy Bramlett estimated that it will take $1.5 million to repair schools, with the bulk of the cost for asbestos removal.

“Probably, because of this kind of shake, we may need to go in and take all of the asbestos out,” Bramlett said.

Classes were back in session throughout the Newhall School District, which sustained $750,000 in damages, said Supt. J. Michael McGrath.

“All buildings have been inspected and are structurally sound. All repairs that are important have been completed and are ready to go,” McGrath said.

The Canyon Country-based Sulphur Springs School District suffered the least damage among Santa Clarita schools--about $75,000 in cosmetic damages, Supt. Robert Nolet said.

About 70% of the district’s 4,100 students returned to classes Monday, higher than administrators expected.

Bottled water has been placed in most Santa Clarita classrooms for students.

Many of those children found the taps in their homes now working, as the Valencia Water Co. has restored water to most of its 15,000 customers Monday.

“We think we’ll probably have just about everyone up in the next 24 hours,” Greg Millemanof Valencia Water Co. said at midday Monday. “There will be pockets of areas that are still out.”

Stevenson Ranch and Sunset Pointe, west of the Golden State Freeway, remain without water and are not expected to have service restored until the end of the week.