Parents vent about school delays

Marisa O’Neil

Angry parents met Thursday afternoon to vent their frustration over

construction delays at Harbor View Elementary School and their

confusion about whom to go to with their concerns.

Representatives from project manager McCarthy Construction and the

Newport Mesa Unified School District heard concerns from about 30

parents and teachers about construction noise, boarded-up windows in

classrooms and leaks in the library roof.

Many parents complained that they felt problems were slipping

through the cracks because of a lack of communication, so Bonnie

Martin, director for McCarthy, promised to put a representative on

campus every day as a point of contact for the project.

“I think we made inroads today,” parent Meg Harrison said after

the meeting. “Maybe we got their attention. I think the district is

surprised at our level of frustration.”

Construction funded by the Measure A school improvement bond,

passed by voters in 2000, hit a series of delays over the summer,

ultimately postponing the start of school at Harbor View by one week.

Unforeseen termite and dry rot damage and plumbing and sewage

problems stalled progress at the site.

Classrooms on campus that are otherwise completed still have

boarded-up windows because the manufacturer sent the wrong size

windows to the school. Martin said they still don’t have a clear

answer about when they will be installed.

Parents also complained Thursday that during last week’s sizzling

temperatures, the rooms got so hot that crayons melted and that

children with asthma have been under extra stress from stuffy rooms

and dust kicked up by construction.

During last week’s rains, the roof of the library leaked because

of holes drilled by construction crews to install cable, Martin said.

Workers patched the holes and the room is ready for books, which have

been packed away in storage, to be put on the shelves.

The building will get a new roof at a later phase of construction.

Teachers with classrooms scheduled for completion this week are

due to move from portable classrooms into their newly refurbished

ones this weekend. However, that is now up in the air after parents

implored Martin to let their children stay in the portables until the

rooms have windows.

She promised to discuss the issue with Asst. Supt. Paul Reed, who

administers the McCarthy contract.

Parents also raised concerns that teachers who spoke out about the

lengthy construction and problems on campus were being punished.

Asst. Supt. of Elementary Education Susan Despenas denied that was

the case but said that any issues must be dealt with through the

proper chain of command, starting with Principal Mellissia

Christensen.

“Mellissia’s done an excellent job, but there comes a point when

she needs support,” parent Camille Hostetler said. “The parents just

have the perception that the district isn’t hearing them.”