Measure A funds being used to fix up the Islands

Thanks to money coming in from Measure A, Channel Islands High School is getting a major facelift.

Many students remember the intense campaigning that went into getting the $350 million bond passed. With the measure passed, about $41 million will be put into improving the CI campus, and not a moment too soon considering the conditions of some school facilities.

For months students have been concerned about the state of the tennis courts. In fact, the conditions are so poor that the tennis team did not host a home match this year.

One tennis player, Gabriel Paras, grade 11, said, “Unfortunately I’ve seen my teammates trip multiple times on these cracks and sometimes injure themselves. I would hate to see it happen to the future teams.”

Denise Abille, a sophomore tennis player, added, “It is a really big safety hazard. I tripped on these courts and sprained my knee.”

According to CI principal Mr. Roger Adams, safety is the top concern for the updates at CI. The school recently unveiled 76 new cameras around campus. The cameras  will monitor hallways, the track and various spots throughout the school. The cameras will be used to combat the tagging and vaping problems on campus, Mr. Adams said.

Along with a new camera system, several updates will be made to our school structure. The drainage system will be redone so that rain no longer pools in massive amounts on campus. This problem has resulted in several braces being placed on the second floor of the B wing.

The fire alarm system is also getting updated, Mr. Adams said. And many students will be ecstatic to learn that CI is getting air conditioning, he added.

Another essential update is the replacement of our bell system. Mr. Adams explained that the system was so old that

opted to replace it over summer with a brand new more accurate system.

Students will also be excited that our sport facilities will getting updated as well. The aforementioned tennis courts are on the list as well as the track. Roger revealed the conceptual designs for a new gate outside the football field. In a thrilling reveal there are plans to put in a pool at CI, however the whole process should take two years.

CI staff has been meeting with a master architect to design the new aspects of campus. One difficulty with the process is defining CI’s unique culture. Adams is determined to “Create identity, talk to students, and create identity through image. “ It is evident from some of the designs that the master architects are not quite aware of of CI’s distinct vibe.

Both Adams and Mr. Ortiz hope that students will speak out once they see the designs.