Blown Transformer Closes Corona del Mar High School

Students arriving at Corona del Mar High School on Wednesday, just a week before finals, were stunned to discover that a power failure had blown the school’s transformer and shut down the campus, possibly until next week.

The power failure at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday affected the school and more than 2,600 residents, a spokeswoman for Southern California Edison Co. said. But just as power was being restored at midnight, a power surge destroyed the school’s transformer.

Students arriving at school were handed fliers announcing that the school was closed, and many thought it was a prank.

“My boyfriend called me at 7:15 and told me,” 17-year-old senior Megan Algeo said. “I thought it was a joke.”

So did some parents.

“We were getting calls from parents wanting to know if their kids were telling the truth,” said Valerie Bradshaw, the school’s security officer, who spent the morning answering phones.

Principal Don Martin said the campus might be closed until Monday.

“It may take several days to repair the electrical damage,” he said. “In the meantime, we’re going to take it one day at a time.”

Administrators and faculty members hurried through dim offices Wednesday trying to reschedule athletic games and final exams to ensure that grades will be recorded on time, especially for seniors applying to college.

“Everything may be set back three days,” Martin said. “But fortunately, the first semester this year will end a week earlier than most schools. This will give us some time to hold finals a week later and to get all the data processing and transcripts out on time.”

Some athletic games were canceled, including home wrestling and volleyball matches. Most other sports were transferred to nearby Woodbridge High School in Irvine.

But with finals slated to be bumped back a week, the Sea Kings teams could be hurt.

“The wrestling team will be in the league finals on Feb. 3,” said Paul Serio, wrestling coach and biology teacher. “If we have final exams that week, it’ll be really hard for the kids to go to practice. And that’s when they’re cutting pounds and dieting to make the weight, which is not conducive to studying.”

Meanwhile, teachers and staff worked Wednesday to ensure that day-to-day concerns were taken care of, such as finding storage for the cafeteria food and the fish in the science aquariums.

Some students called the whole thing a blessing. While it means more time to finish papers and study for exams, the missed days will have to be made up at the end of the year in the summertime, they said.

“It’s pretty cool though,” said senior Ashley Morgan, who went out to breakfast with friends after she found out classes were canceled.

One class, however, was not canceled.

At 7:30 a.m., Dick Morris’ physical education class of 41 students met at the shoreline in Newport Beach for their surfing lessons. Afterward, Morris said, he was surprised to drive onto campus and find the parking lots empty and the buildings dark.

“I didn’t know about this until I got here,” he said. “My students are probably the only ones who went to class today.”