These are exciting times for teachers, administrators, parents, students and other supporters of the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District. The five-year construction project that has created much debate and disruption has borne significant fruit, as any tour of both Mountain View and Los Altos high schools now reveals.
At Los Altos High School, workers are constructing a new multipurpose room and front quad area and are laying the groundwork for a new swimming pool.
At least two recent resident movements have been spurred by the construction: one is a group seeking to raise funds for a better swimming pool than the one planned; the other comprises neighbors who just don't like the look of the new buildings.
A group of parent-supporters has organized a strong effort going to raise the approximately $150,000 needed for a regulation-size, top-of-the-line pool needed for competitions. Even with the group already committing $72,000, the pool under construction currently needs a quality scoreboard, overhead lighting and electronic touch pads for timing swimmers. Superintendent Rich Fischer said the infrastructure of the pool is being designed to accommodate these improvements, should any be funded. Although these extras could be put in anytime, the fund-raising group believes sooner is better. Supporters would like to find funding in the next few months, or they feel the chance for an ideal facility will be lost.
We support these residents' efforts and hope they can raise enough for a world-class pool at Los Altos High.
On the other hand, we don't support the efforts of some nearby residents to force the high school district to change awnings and repaint facilities at Los Altos High because they don't like the current look. We respect their opinions, but there are costs involved here. Moving to a higher-grade awning, for instance, could cost the district nearly $20,000.
District officials have been trying to accommodate these residents, and will be going before the school board Oct. 4 with changes for the awnings and paint color (from blue to a wheat or off-white color with a softer blue trim for the new multipurpose room, theater and library). Fischer and staff have been more than accommodating, but he acknowledged, "We don't want to spend money on something that could be spent elsewhere."
Fischer said there was "no consensus" among the 20-or-so residents at an Aug. 31 meeting on what they do want. So who knows whether these changes will meet their expectations.
We haven't heard a tremendous number of people complaining about how ugly the high schools look. And considering the fact that these residents had years to react between when construction plans went forward in 1995 and now, we'd say it's a little late to start making changes. And to delay this project over the aesthetic concerns of a few would be inappropriate.