EDUCATION Newport-Mesa schools get a reason to...

EDUCATION

Newport-Mesa schools get a reason to celebrate

The works of more than 60 students were on display at Mariners

Elementary School on Wednesday for the national PTA Reflections

contest for student art, music and literature. It’s the kind of

program that leads to announcements by county Supt. of Schools

William Habermehl that Orange County schools generally outperformed

state averages on test scores last year, which he made during his

State of Education Address on the same day.

Despite having a 31% English-learner population, higher than the

state average of 25%, local schools did better than others in

Southern California in many categories, including school safety and

SAT scores. Habermehl credited, in part, an increased emphasis on

character education for Orange County’s strong showing.

* Work is starting to wind down on the first group of schools

undergoing Measure A construction just as bids are going out for the

next group.

Monte Vista and Back Bay Alternative Education High Schools and

Whittier, Woodland, Newport Heights, Mariners and Harbor View

elementary schools are all scheduled to be completed by the end of

the year, said program manager Bonnie Martin of McCarthy

Construction. Kaiser Elementary is expected to be done in February.

Work on the second group of schools will start shortly after bids are

awarded in November.

The Measure A bond passed in 2000, freeing $110 million to improve

local schools.

* MARISA O’NEIL covers education and may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at [email protected].