Measure W pays off at Placer High

Journal Staff WriterOn Thursday, Placer County residents will be able to inspect the newest addition to Placer High School ? all 30,000 square feet of it.From 5?7 p.m., members of the public are invited to tour Placer High School?s new science, social science and music building. Community members can explore the building on student-led tours and speak to Gregg Roberts, district director of construction management and facilities planning, about other school improvement projects. ?We really want the community to see what their passage of the bond has done,? said Maureen Ward, Placer Union High School District board member. ?People are already talking about how beautiful the building is.?The building is the first major project completed under 1999?s $60 million bond, Measure W. It opened just in time for students to take their brand-new seats in the new science, social science and music building last Wednesday. With a $5.9 million price tag, the new building houses 18 classrooms, two acoustically designed music rooms with soundproof practice areas, a spacious prep area for science teachers and a planetarium. ?It?s a huge improvement,? said Thomas Schroeder, a biology teacher. ?There?s lots more space. We have space to be able to meet as faculty and separate teaching and lab facilities. It?s terrific. It?s an environment that feels like you?re going to do some good science stuff.? More than three-quarters of the staff at Placer High have switched classrooms because of the addition, said Principal Dave Horsey. The English department is now housed in the overhauled social science classrooms near the school library. With state-of-the-art classrooms, Spanish-style architecture and one of eight high school planetariums in California, the facility is creating a buzz of excitement. ?Come and see it,? he said. ?It?s awe-inspiring. It?s pretty rare that you?re going to get a brand-new chemistry and science facility. It says a lot about the school, the district and the people in the community that raised the money for this.? Students also appreciate their new surroundings. Junior Rachelle Van Praag said she enjoyed her new history classroom.?It?s good to have a new building because the rest of the school is so old,? she said. ?I?m really glad they put it in.? The new building is the second in a three-phase renovation of Placer High. In spring, construction bids will go out on the third phase, which includes renovation of old science classrooms into foreign language rooms, remodeling the current administration building to a student services center and various campus upgrades.