Big $$ for local schools

By Robert Rogers
Staff Writer

San Bernardino High School is arguably the city's most steeped in tradition.
Native sons like Stater Bros. CEO Jack Brown and Congressman Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands, earned diplomas here, and it became the county's first public high school in 1883.

At its current site since 1915, the school, like many in the area, has seen better days.
But as of Thursday good news is in the offing.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell announced Thursday the availability of $234 million for the construction, modernization, and repair of school facilities around the state.

San Bernardino County is eligible to receive $46.2 million for new school construction and work on older schools, according to the California Department of Education.

"At this point, districts can come in as early as today and to make a proposal for the funds," said Lisa Constancio, a Department of Education spokeswoman. "The funds will begin being released four to six weeks later. That's when the money will begin being put into action."

Of the $46.2 million granted locally, $39.5 million is set for modernizing and upgrading aging school facilities and $6.7 million is for building new schools.

The money is available to help construct five new schools and upgrade six others.
The State Allocation Board assigns and disperses the money, originally approved by voters in November 2006 as part of Proposition 1D, Constancio said.

San Bernardino is a city well-positioned for a hefty dose of modernization funds, due in part to the aging education infrastructure that dots one of Southern California's older communities, Constancio said.

Particularly costly is modernizing campuses older than five decades, which need significant work to be made accessible for disabled persons usage, to improve electrical and structural quality and make better suited for wireless Internet connectivity.

Dry rot and other structural compromising must also be dealt with on very old buildings, Constancio said.

"It's very expensive to repair a 50-year-old building," she said.

San Bernardino High School is a perfect example.

Much of the red-brick and concrete dates back about a century, and "Cardinal City" isn't as sterling as it was in its heyday.

"Everybody at (SBHS) is very excited by this news," said school district spokeswoman Maria Garcia. "This is the first major remodeling since the 1960s, and we think that with some upkeep, the school can go another 125 years."