180 Days of Learning : HUNTINGTON BEACH UNION HIGH

The district this fall will kick off Odyssey 2002, a five-year plan to upgrade aging facilities, update technology and help teachers improve their performance.

“When you have a plan in place it helps everybody to understand where you’re headed,” said Bonnie Bruce, school board member. “If anybody needs to know the direction of the district, all they need to do is get a copy of the plan.”

Copies are available at the district office, 10251 Yorktown Ave., Huntington Beach.

Goals for the district--which encompasses six campuses in Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley and Westminster--include evaluating students’ ability to solve problems, work in groups and communicate; developing alternative-education programs for at-risk students who do not respond to traditional techniques; and improving teacher performance with more comprehensive reviews and two-year probationary employment, Supt. Ronald Bennett said.

Updating computer technology with at least three computer labs on each campus is a high priority, as is major improvements to buildings, athletic fields and classrooms.

“Our district is aging, and all of our schools are moving toward that 30-year mark,” Bruce said. “As a board we feel very strongly about . . . the need to update.”

The cost for remodeling projects alone could cost upward of $76 million, officials said. How to finance that and other phases of Odyssey 2002 is still being discussed.

Accommodating enrollment growth will continue to be a top priority this school year, officials said. Projected enrollment for the fall is 13,500, up 2.5% from last year.