2017 in education: Newport-Mesa made progress in renovating and installing new facilities

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District made progress in longstanding projects this year.

Here are the top local stories in education, in reverse chronological order:

A committee of NMUSD staff members, administrators and parents determined, after reviewing public input, that starting the school year up to three weeks before Labor Day is in students’ best interest.

The committee will meet to design a new calendar, which will then move to the district and teachers’ union for negotiations. After that, it would go to the school board for adoption.

The earliest a change would happen is in the 2020-21 school year, but it hasn’t been determined how much earlier the start date would be. The change would apply to all students except for those at Early College High School, which already starts in August.

All Newport-Mesa schools to get air conditioning by 2019

All schools are slated to have air conditioning by summer 2019.

The district began installing air conditioning at the most-inland campuses first. The majority of schools are not entirely cooled because they were built before air conditioning was widely used in coastal areas. However, many schools have air conditioned spaces.

Corona del Mar high and middle school sports field moves forward

The school board approved the final environmental impact report and an $11 million proposal to construct a new sports field at Corona del Mar High and middle schools.

The plan includes two synthetic-turf fields, one rubber track and 80-foot light poles. Seating capacity will remain at 664 in the main field bleachers and 200 at the second field.

School board adjusts trustee zone boundaries

Newport-Mesa Unified School District trustees went through a yearlong debate with community members to adjust trustee zone boundaries to make them more equal in population after being threatened with a lawsuit.

In October, the district selected a map, called Map G, where Trustee Area 7 has a slightly lower population of Latinos but a higher percentage of all minorities. This map also includes three schools in Area 5 and five schools in Area 6.

Map G critics contended it was created with minimal input. They also alleged it was preferred by the school board because it wouldn’t pit trustees Karen Yelsey and Judy Franco running against each other in the upcoming election.

Amid the debate, Franco announced she wouldn’t run for re-election after serving on the board nearly four decades.

Swun Math replaced by new program for many students

Following years of criticism from vocal parents and teachers, the district approved replacing Swun Math with new K-5 materials.

Sixth-graders are still using Swun while a committee of teachers pilot two math programs that could be adopted by the next academic year.

The committee wanted to find a math program that would more align with seventh- and eighth-grade curricula.

Authorities launch investigation into flutes contaminated with semen

State and federal officials began to investigate how batches of plastic flutes believed to be contaminated with semen were distributed to schools in Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley and elsewhere in Southern California.

Authorities suspect a music specialist contaminated the musical instruments, but the suspect has not been identified.

Sewer gas smell in Estancia High science classroom attracts attention

School trustees focused their attention on Estancia High School after science teachers spoke publicly about possible health concerns from sewer gases emanating from walls, sinks and floors in the science wing following a renovation project completed in 2008.

District officials attributed the problem to improperly capped sewer pipes, most of which were fixed over the summer, but the school board approved additional testing.

Former Costa Mesa High football coach sentenced to jail for trying to seduce detective posing as teen

Jeremy Osso, a former Costa Mesa High School football coach, received 270 days in jail for sending messages in an effort to seduce someone he thought was a teenage girl, but was actually an undercover police detective.

He pleaded guilty in August to a felony charge of sending harmful matter to seduce a minor.

Osso, an Estancia High School alumnus, was head football coach at Mesa from 2006 until he was fired in 2011 for reasons that were not made public.

Former OCC student faces charges after violating restraining order

Problems arose at Orange Coast College in February when an ex-student incessantly emailed his chemistry instructor to retake an exam with the help of a calculator, according to college officials.

The college sought a permanent restraining order against Robert Bouton McDougal and suspended him from all Coast Community College District facilities until March 2019.

In September, McDougal was in custody after he failed to appear in court for an arraignment. McDougal’s attorney contended that the college should have handled the situation differently as his client suffers from unspecified disabilities.

OCC professor who made anti-Trump comments earns Faculty of Year honors

The Orange Coast College professor who called President Trump’s victory an “act of terrorism” in a video recorded by a student during class in 2016 received the Faculty of the Year award.

The announcement prompted members of OCC’s Republicans club and some community members to demand the Coast Community College District revoke the award from Olga Perez Stable Cox.

Priscella.Vega@latimes.com

Twitter: @vegapriscella