August 2002

Ran:  San Diego Daily Transcript Soaring Dimensions - North County
Thursday, August 29, 2002

Poway School District pumping up with new Westview High School
By Thor Kamban Biberman

For now it just consists of empty building in a 70-acre sea of concrete, but nevertheless the Westview High School, only the second high school to be built in Rancho Penasquitos, is taking its final shape for its September opening.

The Westview site off Camino Ruiz has been used for everything from a horseback riding staging area to a motocross venue, but soon will be school to as many as 2,500 students. Gerald Ford was president that last time a high school was built in this suburban community.

Don Phillips, Poway Unified superintendent, is very happy with the school he is receiving. "The new high school represents a wonderful educational program and it gives us the chance to downsize our other schools," he said.

For example, the new school will, at least for the time being, allow Mt. Carmel High School to remain at about 2,500 students.

The Poway Unified School District serves Poway, Rancho Penasquitos, Rancho Bernardo, Carmel Mountain Ranch and Sabre Springs. Depending on the needs, students from any of these communities could end up at Westview, but the first chance will be given to those who live closest to the school.

The school is to just have freshman and sophomore students in its first year, freshman through junior grades in its second year, and senior grades coming in the third school year.

The Westview High School may be the last time a new high school is build in the district in a while. A new elementary school and a new middle school are expected to be build in the 2004-2005 timeframe. Both of these are expected to be in or near the 4S Ranch master plan.

Phillips said another high school is expected to be developed in the 4S Ranch/Camino del Norte area, but wouldn't come online until 2007 or 2008.

"We have to make sure utilities are nearby," Phillip.

"Westview was the middle of nowhere," Phillips said. "It was amazing they were able to do it."

Construction of Westview was funded through Mello-roos fees.

The district will float a bond measure in the fall, not only build new schools but to repair dozens of old ones.

The district hasn't been very lucky on that score. Twice in the past five years, bond measures gained 60 percent of the vote, but failed to get the necessary two-thirds. The measures had done well in areas with a lot of young children, less well in the most affluent ares with fewer kids around.

District officials think with only a 55 percent requirement, a bond measure may have a better chance this fall. "Even a 55 percent is tough to hit, but is doable," Phillips said.

Phillips, who noted the Midland Elementary in Poway is more than 40 years old, for example, said the bond measure would most likely be in the less than $200 million range. He said the district might have wished to make the figure larger, but that getting something passed would be better than getting nothing at all. "We wouldn't have to have all the bells and whistles," Phillips said.

Douglas E. Barnhart, the general contractor on the $55 million Westview project, noted that no less than $5 million in technology upgrades will have been installed before the first student walks into the classroom. In the computer labs, for example, the power ports in the floor are moveable so no place in the room is without an outlet.

The library, with its enormous arched windows, is a focal point of the campus.

Along with some very high-tech infrastructure, the library will have at least an automated teller machine, and perhaps a bank branch and a cafe of sorts. Mission Federal Credit Union is among entities that have expressed an interest in operating such a branch.

The school has a proscenium-style theater with 320 seats, a rosewood floor, and a complete catwalk network that is hidden from view. Nearby, are a large band room and a choir room. Outside these are raised benches that look like piano keys and musical notes that have been etched into the concrete.

Nearby, in front of the art building, paintbrushes have been etched into the concrete as wells. Both the musical illustrations paintbrushes are awaiting the painters, but it shouldn't be long now.

The main quad ares is fanned out in the shape of a saw blade, and the concrete is interspersed with grassy areas.

"Most of these high schools don't have a big enough quad area," Barnhart said.

Other differences are found in the chemistry/biology labs. For one thing they have digital cameras tied electronically to monitors that would allow anyone in the room to see any given procedure.

Westview will have a kitchen with stainless steel walls that will not only serve meals to as many as 2,500 students there, but will be feeding students at no fewer than four more schools in the district

Barnhart said what is remarkable about the construction thus far, is that up until June, there was no water and power to the site. The water was trucked in, and the power was from generators. Now both are there except for a water purification system.

The job will have a total of about 80 subcontractors. NTD Architects, which specializes in educational design, is the project architect.

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