WILDOMAR: Hayman rebuilding enters first stage

Officials talking with architects to design renovations

By RANI GUPTA - Staff Writer | Tuesday, August 19, 2008 10:40 PM PDT ∞

WILDOMAR ---- School district officials will soon start planning renovations to Jean Hayman Elementary, which was shuttered this year to save money.

Members of a Lake Elsinore Unified School District advisory committee have met with architects interested in designing the overhaul.

On Thursday, school trustees are expected to give district officials the go-ahead to negotiate an architectural contract for the Hayman renovations, as well as contracts for other construction projects such an overhaul of Terra Cotta Middle School in Lake Elsinore. The board is scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. at the district's offices, 545 Chaney St., Lake Elsinore.

Board members will vote on the design contracts at a future meeting.

Although the district is moving forward with the plans, the start of construction is at least a year away.

Greg Bowers, assistant superintendent of facilities and operations, said the design process can take from one to two years, and construction can take an additional 18 months to two years.

Bowers said Hayman's closure should speed up construction because contractors won't have to rebuild one portion at a time to accommodate students.

"We don't have to phase it because it's not an active campus," he said.

When trustees voted in April to close Hayman, they said the move was necessary to save money because of an uncertain state budget. But they also said closing the school during its renovation makes sense.

Rebuilding while students are on campus has led to injuries at schools such as Temescal Canyon High School, according to Trustee Jeanie Corral.

"We will be able to take care of these things without the young children being hurt," she said.

School district spokesman Jose Carvajal said it's too early to tell how much the Hayman renovations will cost.

School officials emphasized that the money that will be used to renovate Hayman can only be used for construction and facilities. The money saved by closing Hayman affects the general fund, which pays for salaries and other non-building items.

Trustees have not determined how long Hayman will be closed, though they said it would likely be at least two years.

Many parents who pleaded with district officials earlier this year to keep Hayman open were unimpressed with the idea that students would return to a renovated school when Hayman reopened.

Some were skeptical that it would reopen at all because district officials expect student enrollment to decline this academic year. However, district officials have also said they expect the population to rebound when the housing market recovers.

Contact staff writer Rani Gupta at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2625, or rgupta@californian.com.

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