An ‘A’ for a New High School

As chains of red and gold balloons fluttered under a clear, blue sky, Santa Ana’s newest high school opened its doors Tuesday to 1,200 students, the first high school the crowded district has opened in 16 years.

“Everything’s new and pretty -- nothing has been written on,” said Vanessa Borroel, a sophomore. “It’s very nice.”

Construction of the $118-million Segerstrom Fundamental High School, complete with a state-of-the-art performing arts center, cutting-edge science laboratories and an airy library featuring cozy reading spots, took two years. Some work remains: The stadium is not complete, so the fledgling football team practices at a nearby school; there are the occasional wet-paint signs; and stacks of library books have yet to be shelved.

But Tuesday was a day of festivity, as 400 sophomores and 800 freshmen arrived at the 36-acre campus, which previously was a lima bean field. As songs such as Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration” blared from speakers in the lunch plaza, students received pennants reading “Segerstrom Jaguars” in the school’s colors of red, gold and black.

The reaction, from students and faculty alike, was one of awe.

“Look at this. Who wouldn’t want to teach at a place like this?” said English teacher Terri Verhaegen.

Librarian Jennifer Maldonato was especially excited about her facility, which includes two computer labs and sitting areas full of overstuffed crimson and black chairs.

“It’s phenomenal,” she said. “We’re trying to make it into a fabulous place for kids to read and relax and be with their friends.”

The school is named in honor of the pioneer Orange County family that once farmed the land where the school now stands. The Segerstroms own nearby South Coast Plaza and were instrumental in the construction of the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

The campus was partly funded by a $145-million construction bond voters approved in 1999 to ease crowding in the Santa Ana Unified School District, the county’s largest and most financially strained. Escalating construction costs and falling enrollment forced district officials to trim the number of schools being built.

The new high school and Manuel Esqueda Elementary School, which also opened Tuesday, are the first schools promised under the bond to open.

A second fundamental high school and a continuation high school are expected to open in fall 2006.

Being a “fundamental” school, Segerstrom will put the focus on college-prep academics. Despite the district’s large Latino enrollment, courses are taught only in English because academic rigor is the standard, said district spokeswoman Susan Brandt.

Students and their parents must sign pledges agreeing to abide by a dress code, be respectful, complete all their homework, meet graduation requirements and be “college-competitive.”

“We’re going to work them hard, and we’re going to celebrate” their successes, said Principal Lyn Maher.

Any prospective freshmen and sophomores in the district were eligible to enroll at Segerstrom.

Several students said the main reason they chose the school over the district’s other four high schools was Segerstrom’s focus on academics.

“I want to go to college, and a fundamental school makes a better environment for learning,” Vanessa Borroel said. “A lot of people here really want to get into college and are really studious. I like being around people I can challenge myself with.”

Jessica Izazaga, a freshman who hopes to become a lawyer, added, “The rules, the strictness, I like.”