District staff highlights 2019 bond renovations at Whittier Elementary

Carrie Dennis, a district staff member, outlined completed projects funded by the 2019 bond levy at Whittier Elementary and described how the work is intended to improve the student learning environment.

"I want to take a few moments and share with you some of the 2019 bond project completed work and how it positively impacts our students and staff across the district," Dennis said, opening a short presentation about the program of renovations.

Dennis said Whittier Elementary was identified in the facility master plan phase one because the building was "greater than 55 years old," and that the 2019 bond levy approved by voters supported work to refresh the facility. "In 2019, when voters approved our bond levy, we got to work laying out a few ways we could improve the learning environment and freshen up the overall feeling of the building," she said.

Among the changes Dennis described were new, dedicated art and music rooms intended to provide "a structured, sensory-rich environment that allows students to fully engage in creative expression without the constraints of a standard classroom." She also said the cafeteria — originally a gymnasium and previously "dark and stuffy" — was upgraded with added windows, new seating approaches and a renovated adjoining kitchen to provide "a proper serving line, giving our kitchen staff a chance to cook and serve the students effectively and efficiently."

Dennis highlighted aesthetic improvements as well: "One really fun project is the building-wide murals that we added in the hallways. With feedback from the staff and students, we landed on a nod to Whittier's mascot, the eagle." She said the murals and other renovations were intended to make the school more welcoming and to "better reflect our commitment to student success."

The presentation focused on completed facility improvements funded by the 2019 bond levy; no new votes or formal actions were reported during the remarks.