Alemany High Still Faces Long Recovery

While most of the Catholic schools damaged in the Northridge earthquake in the San Fernando Valley are up and running, the campus of Alemany High School in Mission Hills faces an uncertain future.

With more than $7.5 million in damages, some of the structures may be demolished to be rebuilt later, said Alemany Principal Robert Milbauer. But there was no possibility of the school being shut down altogether, he said.

Since the January earthquake, the high school has been operating out of 30 modular units at Our Lady Queen of Angels seminary located across Rinaldi Street and will continue do so throughout this school year that started Aug. 30.

“Last semester, we did a lot of half days,” Milbauer said, because the school did not have the resources to house all of its students during the day.

Enrollment has dropped by about 60 people to a student population of 1,550, Milbauer said.

While most classes have remained unaffected, sports activities like basketball and volleyball have been put on hold because their temporary gym is too small to hold a large crowd.

The dramatic arts, however, have prevailed at Alemany. At the end of last year, a school drama group staged the musical “Once Upon a Mattress” outdoors, instead of in a theater.