HUNTINGTON BEACH : School Expansion Completion Assured

Teacher Karen Lempert and her sixth-grade students at Ethel Dwyer Middle School have had a vantage point to watch the construction going on at the school since October--it’s been happening right outside their classroom.

“It’s been exciting and noisy--and it’s been disruptive,” Lempert said.

The area will be peaceful again with completion of a 32,000-square-foot, three-story wing.

Trustees of the Huntington Beach City School District last week approved the borrowing of $2.5 million to guarantee that the $3.8-million project is finished in time to accommodate students in September.

As a result of Orange County’s December bankruptcy, money for school construction has been frozen in the county’s collapsed investment pool, including $4 million earmarked for capital projects, Assistant Supt. Jerry Buchanan said.

For the middle school expansion, Buchanan said, that situation “created a serious potential problem.”

Buchanan said the school district board, deciding not to risk delays in completing the project, secured the loan to ensure having the money to pay the contractor.

The district has about $9.2 million in the investment pool and expects to receive about $8 million by June 5.

A portion of that payment, however, is promised in recovery notes.

The county “said the recovery notes are as good as gold. But there is no evidence as to how they’re going to make them as good as gold. That’s why we bought insurance on it,” Buchanan said, in reference to the loan.

Dwyer Principal Ian Collins said he is confident now that the new wing of 10 classrooms, science and computer labs, cafeteria and library will be finished on time.

“It’s going to happen, most definitely,” he said.

Collins said the space being added to the 60-year-old downtown school--the oldest in the Huntington Beach district--is needed to keep up with growing enrollment.

“It gives a lot of pride to Dwyer and the city,” he said. “We can’t wait.”