As SCHS continues to grow and develop, SCUSD and their schools have taken initiatives to make changes throughout the campuses. With the overall support from staff and district members, the changes that will occur on SCHS may help facilitate a new sense of school spirit.
This initiative first began with SCUSD asking schools on what they would like to see changed. Vice Principal of Activities Sharon Freeman described the steps and thought process that went into initiating changes. Select staff members, students and parents were included throughout meetings to compose a list of the aspects they loved about the school and what can be improved.
The group examined the campus section by section and brainstormed what places need to be updated. To understand their perspectives and needs, representatives from areas such as athletics, special education and arts were also included in the conversations.
Freeman acknowledged the impact the changes will have on students and emphasized how the reforms will fit the students’ needs and interests by including student voices.
“I was working on bringing in student representatives and making connections that way,” Freeman said. “Then I definitely felt my voice was heard when it came to my role on campus, looking at activities, looking at the culture of the campus, making those shifts, so that we had a footprint on our campus that really worked with our students.”
Principal Gregory Shelby, who began as a student teacher in 1999, has seen the multiple phases of SCHS. He said there are various places throughout the campus that can be changed. With the help of the district, Shelby and his team were able to create a list based on the immediate necessity and cost of the changes.
“The list of changes that we have does not mean we’re going to be able to do everything. We have to be able to get funds,” Shelby said. “As funds come in, we now know what we want to spend it on based on our ability, based on the budget and based on our areas of highest need.”
Shelby mentioned that there are going to be some immediate reforms, while others will be seen throughout the next few years. One of those immediate improvements will boost security and ensure that the outer areas of campus are safe.
“In the next two months, we’re going to see a security fence program that’s actually been in the works for a little while in our west parking lot to make the back part of our campus a little safer,” Shelby said. “We are also working on a couple of things in our front parking lot area that will help with safety as well. There’s some things we can do that will help improve traffic flow as well as improve safety.”
Looking at long-term plans, Shelby stated that a major change he is looking forward to is the elimination of the portables. With McDonald High School’s opening, enrollment will continue to gradually decrease, allowing for teachers to have a permanent classroom inside the school.
“I’m really hoping that we will have eliminated all three portables that are currently behind the wrestling room by bandroom and wrestling room,” Shelby said. “I’m really hoping that those will be gone in the next couple of years and then getting rid of all the P-Wing portables shortly thereafter.”
Shelby added that he eventually hopes to replace the P-Wing with a secondary quad.
“There’s a great design for that,” Shelby said. “That will not be a big, large thing for large social gatherings. It will be more set up almost parklike for small groups, which will be a wonderful place.”
Freeman discussed the addition of another multipurpose space besides the cafeteria. Since there is competition between groups on campus due to limited space, a new multipurpose area would be beneficial for numerous groups, such as sports, dance, winter guard or cheer.
The life skills program consists of various classes that aid students in realistic manners, and is an impactful program throughout campus. For Freeman, this program is one of her main concerns and how it would be beneficial to have a bigger space for all the classes.
“The life skills program is very kind of insular, so they have a kitchen where they not only do some work with the students but also teach them how to cook and do all of these things as well as their academics,” Freeman said. “Being able to have a space where they’re more included in the school life, I think would be really beneficial to both sides of the community.”
In general, the district had brought up concerns within the athletics department. One of the biggest areas of need that Shelby mentioned was the pool. Many athletic-related components can be solved, he said, by fixing the pool and the black top area. Building a newer and larger pool, with access to all-gender locker rooms, is also another vision in mind.
“There’s a lot of things that we just can’t provide with our current facilities that we would like to build into all one new structure,” Shelby said.
Athletic director and basketball coach Melodee Kiyota highlighted the lack of accessible areas for all sports, either with locker rooms or storage spaces. She mentioned the main work that needs to be done is with the pool and pool deck.
“The pool was obviously one of the biggest things because the pool hasn’t been updated since probably, I want to say the early 2000s,” Kiyota said.
Kiyota emphasized how the athletics department has been needing upgrades for many years, such as the scoreboard, which has been at SCHS for a long time. For more immediate changes, there is work currently being done within the visitor side bleachers and some in the field as well.
Senior Bien Dela Cruz has been part of SCHS’s swimming program for the past four years. As of this year, he mentioned that the school has a record number of swimmers, which causes crowding.
“Usually, three to four swimmers should be in the lane, but sometimes during a very crowded practice where everybody comes, we get five people per lane. In terms of sizing, I also play water polo, and our pool is actually not regulation size,” Dela Cruz said. “It’s slightly smaller than regulation, and the pool doesn’t allow us to fit into lane lines because they’re supposed to be two lane lines at the side. We only have one side for the lane lines.”
Dela Cruz believes that having a smaller pool can affect participants’ performance in water polo and in swimming. For water polo, he mentioned that with a smaller sized pool, it gives the team an advantage since the game is more dynamic.
“In terms of performance, swimmers are missing out on the full distance in terms of water polo, but for swimming itself, it’s regulation 25 yards. If you’re a swimmer, you’re not really missing out on anything, but you’re just being crowded in,” Dela Cruz said. “You could bump into people when you’re swimming butterfly, which is a really wide stroke, and that might cause injuries.”
In addition, Dela Cruz brought up how the nearly 60 years old International Swim Center recently shut down. He mentioned that there was a report showing the state of ISC, with rust and heating not meeting regulations. Dela Cruz hoped this would speed up the process of SCHS getting a new pool.
With plans for creating better athletic facilities, Kiyota is particularly looking forward to the changes on the pool deck and anything on the campus that benefits the students in a positive manner.
“It’ll be a positive thing because I hope when these athletes see the changes that we’re making, it’ll draw them to come over and try out and be a part of it,” Kiyota said. “They’ll see the changes that we’re making, and it’ll bring them here to come and watch and support Bruins athletics.”