Valencia Valley and Meadows Elementary Schools are updating their campuses, using Measure E bond funds. Portable classrooms have been taken down to make room for new permanent classrooms, equipped with education technology.

AUSTIN DAVE | SCV NEWS

Valencia Valley and Meadows Elementary Schools are receiving some much needed renovations as part of a roughly $12 million modernization project thanks to Measure E bond funds.

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Valencia Valley took down it’s portable classrooms, which were only meant to be temporary, but ended up staying in use for more than 10 years, because of budget limitations.

Now permanent classrooms will be put in their place, updated with wi-fi, SMART Boards and energy efficient heating and cooling, said Newhall School District officials.

Related News: Newhall School District News

“We’re just finishing tearing out one of our last portable buildings,” said Valencia Valley Principal Ken Hintz.

A field of parts, red twisted scrap metal and aging beige plastic litter the school sites.

“This is just the beginning of the project,” Hintz said. “We’ll be putting in the new buildings hopefully soon, within the next month or so.”

Demolition of the long-standing classrooms has drawn scores of students to excitedly line the construction site’s perimeter fence.

“Students love to see all the demolition,” said Erick Kroenke, the district’s director of facilities. “They love to see the crane in the back working and the excavation.”

To the disappointment of the students however, most of the toppling over takes place hours before school starts as a safety precaution.

The Measure E bond fund was approved by 66 percent of voters in Nov. 2011.

District-wide Modernization Project 

The district-wide modernization project is one of four purposes the bond sale serves which include capital projects that reduce costs in the Newhall School District’s operations fund as well as projects that improve, expand and modernize facilities, according to the district’s website.

“In a portable classroom, you have one window, one door,” Hintz said.

The new classrooms will provide students with two doors to enter and exit from, significantly larger windows and high vaulted ceilings which boost energy savings by allowing natural light to freely flow in.

“It’ll be a wonderful addition to this community,” Hintz said. “It’ll truly enhance their educational experience.”

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