At Rotary, superintendent addresses new look at middle schools

Downey school board members and superintendent Dr. John Garcia on the steps of recently refurbished Griffiths Middle School. (DUSD photo)

DOWNEY – “When students walk into a campus,” said Dr. John Garcia, “the state of the classroom and the buildings tells them whether their town cares about their education. Our kids know how much we care about them.”

Dr. Garcia, superintendent of the Downey Unified School District, gave a refreshingly upbeat address to the Rotary Club of Downey this week, and the C word (Covid) was not uttered during his talk.

“We’re going to talk today about middle school projects the district has accomplished,” he said. “In 2014, the voters passed Measure O to provide $248 million to renovate Downey Unified schools. Homeowners voted to tax themselves to fund repairs, upgrades and new construction projects at Downey Unified campuses. We at the DUSD prioritized the funds where the need was greatest.”

At Doty Middle School, a new two-story building with 17 classrooms has been completed, and a new gym. Driving on Florence and then turning south on Woodruff, you can see the new buildings from the front. They have a contemporary look with white walls. Lockers and PE facilities were renovated, and these improvements were made at all four middle schools.

“We needed more than two electrical outlets in each classroom,” Dr. John said. “When they were built in the ‘50’s, you’d need enough for an overhead projector, not much else. Now every child has a device. There are so many audio visual aids to learning and the classrooms had to be renovated to handle that.”

As you drive on Tweedy Lane, you see at Griffiths Middle School the new two-story building with 14 classrooms, and the new gym. Construction on all these projects has been on-going for several years, with blue tarps covering the fences and obstructing the view. Now the tarps are off and the classrooms are operational.

Stauffer Middle School, on Old River School Road south of Stewart and Gray Road, has a new library and updated locker rooms and PE facilities.

“The original administration building was in the middle of the campus,” said Dr. John, “too far away from the entrance. For safety’s sake, when visitors come on campus, you want the office at the entrance to the school, close to the parking lot and curb. So we built a new one, with bright new landscaping to set it off.”

Sussman Middle School, on Birchdale north of the Imperial Highway, has a new library and a two-story 10-classroom building, and the same pluses in the locker facilities and PE rooms. A contemporary bit of design is the ombré, a shade-giving arch extending from the buildings.

“We serve 22,000 children at our campuses,” said Dr. John, “plus the adult school. Similar improvements have been made at all of them, the 13 K-5’s and the three high schools.

After Measure O was passed, a watchdog Citizens Bond Oversight Committee was formed, to ensure bond proceeds were properly spent. In 2019, the citizen committee of seven, headed by Eric Pierce, reported that Measure O funds were indeed used for construction, plus utilities, mandatory state inspections, environmental reviews, site preparation, engineering services, and all other fees and services that are expected with large construction projects.

“In my 30 years in public education,” said Dr. John, “I have seen that a school structure can symbolize hope, opportunity, and stability for students. Perhaps the greatest impact of clean, safe, and inviting schools is that they show our students and teachers that they are respected and valued individuals.”

The “new” normal at DUSD is looking even better than the old.

During a lively question and answer period it was ascertained that the popular all-elementary school track meet is coming back. Watch for it this spring.