Schools are continuing modernization projects

A new era begins this year in Anaheim, with school districts continuing classroom and campus improvements this year through funds provided from bond measures passed in March 2002 and with new people assuming leadership roles. In the Anaheim City School District, Don Garcia will take over as board president with Susan Preus becoming clerk. In the Anaheim Union High School District, Robert Stewart was voted president. And in Magnolia School District, Esther Wallace will be president and Barbara Clendening will be clerk Anaheim City is moving onto Phase II of its proposed projects, but it is also reviewing its facilities master plan to determine if it should reorganize modernization priorities. Currently, the $111 million bond, Measure BB, and the state School Facilities Program fund the modernization projects. "We have our bond, our funding is secure," said Trustee Jerry Silverman. "But we have to plan ahead." Anaheim City's eligibility for future matching state funds could be in jeopardy because of a lack of new students. The state gives funds priority to districts with growing enrollments. Even though the district is crowded, it has remained at a steady growth rate because its schools are on double sessions or year round and new schools are providing additional seats. "It's a real dilemma. It's like you've built yourself into a box," Silverman said. Proposition 55, a new bond measure that is scheduled to be on the March ballot, will determine whether the district will sell its bonds to start on new projects or if it will continue with its current projects and wait on others. Plans to build a school near Ponderosa Park remain viable. Five apartment complexes have been acquired and residents will be displaced. The district projects to have a school there by 2006. Beginning Monday, Revere students will move to the Harbor Campus while their school is being modernized. Plans to expand Horace Mann School also remain intact. Construction is not expected to begin until late June or early July, when Franklin students move from the north side of the Harbor campus to their own renovated school. In the end, a record-setting 1,340 exhibitors attracted a crowd of more than 70,000, National Association of Music Merchants officials estimated. Though exhibitors are selling products, most of them are musicians in their own rite. Tim Keehn, 35 of Los Angeles, is an exhibitor with A&S Freight and Road Case and a trombone player. He also owns his own musical composition company. Jusden Aumand, 25, a purchasing manager with Jensen Guitar and Music Co. in Santa Maria is also a drummer. Michael Egizi, 40, came down to the trade show just to check out the new products. An Encino resident, Egizi is a keyboard player and owns Diamond E Music.