Transformations are happening at a rapid pace around campus, and while these changes are very exciting, they have created some unforeseen issues that students and staff alike are dealing with.
The construction of the new main office, which includes the demolition of large areas of land using bulldozers and other heavy equipment, has resulted in a huge amount of debris. Many students do not enjoy seeing the debris, which can be visually unappealing.
Recently, a survey was completed by 38 randomly selected students and there were numerous concerns expressed by those surveyed about the smell, dust, longer routes to travel to and additional traffic associated with the construction process. According to Gabriela Gamboa (12), a regular bus rider, the buses are no longer able to use the designated bus lanes to drop off students because of the construction. This has caused her to use the back gates to access school.
Unfortunately, she stated that she cannot rely on the back gates being open every day especially when arriving at school early, and therefore she has to walk a long distance to the front entrance. The impact of the construction on traffic flow has also been evident. Because a large part of the original drop-off area is no longer available, all vehicles are required to use the area formerly reserved for buses.
“It wasn’t this bad before,” said Jaden Guzman (10). “Now, I have to get dropped off on the side of the street so I don’t have to deal with the chaos of the parking lot in the mornings.”
This has caused the time it takes to drop off students to become longer and subsequently caused an increase in student tardiness. Moreover, bus riders who are in the portables for the 6th period cannot make it to new bus pickup due to the increased distance. This leaves students with no choice but to ask for permission to leave earlier.
Construction has also increased the distance students must walk between classes. Many students must cross the entire campus to reach their classrooms located in the temporary portable units, which creates a longer than 5-minute trek, taking away important instructional time. Many teachers have voiced a concern about increasing the passing period in order to accommodate the distance.
With the bulldozing, many problems regarding dust and noise have been brought up as well. Emilio Estrada (9) brought up concerns about the dust. “During P.E. sometimes the dust I breathe in bothers me a lot and gives me headaches. I have a friend who has asthma and it’s just been a lot worse ever since construction started.”
And they’re right to bring this up, as construction can generate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as rubble dust, which can be harmful for respiratory health, cause eye, throat irritation, and headaches exactly like the ones Estrada described. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, VOCs can also be released from substances like adhesives, varnishes, sealants, cleaning agents, and solvents, as well as fuels like gasoline and diesel used for equipment. A few participants in the interview also described strange “metallic” or “rust” or even “onion” smells brought up from the construction. The renovation of the gym also brought the discovery of asbestos material in the ceilings, a cancer-causing material commonly used during the sixties.
While continuing construction is necessary for the overall improvement of the school, it has been a headache for both students and teachers. Due to the ongoing construction, many have experienced increased walk times from class to class along with dust and unexplained odors. This has caused disturbances to all involved, hopefully the school will be able to implement solutions that ensure safety and ease for all during the duration of the construction.
