By Jacob Wilson/
Garden Grove Journal
The end of the school year is bringing a new beginning for Westminster’s middle schools.
The Westminster School District officially “broke ground” this week on major construction projects at Johnson, Stacey and Warner middle schools. Each school will get a new “exploration” buildings and a gymnasium that also serves as a multi-purpose room.
The Warner project’s expected cost is just over $17,000,000. Azusa-based ACC Contractors will oversee the project.
The Stacey project is split into two phases. The first phase’s budget is $9.3 million. Summit Builders of Irvine will manage the project’s first phase.
The district is still looking for a contractor for the Johnson project after the Board of Trustees rejected all previous bids. The delay to the project should be minimal, said Board Vice-President Dave Bridgewaters.
The projects are expected to take about two years to complete. So the new buildings should be up and running by fall 2014. In the mean time, some classes may have to meet in temporary buildings next year.
Exploration buildings are two stories and include science labs and a creative studio with a technology zone for digital arts and a crafts corner for traditional projects.
Each school’s existing multi-purpose room will be converted into a new library and resource center. In addition to the new buildings, each school’s exterior and landscaping will be uniquely redesigned.
Part of the plan is to tie education to environment. Long walking paths will feature both standard and metric measurement. Science terms will be placed around science classrooms while musical concepts will be outside music classrooms.
Funding comes from Measure “O,” a $130 million bond measure approved by Westminster voters in 2008. The bond is funded by property taxes.
