Oxnard Union High School District spends millions on upgrades

OXNARD, Calif. -- The Oxnard Union High School District is giving all of the schools in their district a makeover.

The district is spending nearly $500 million on their high schools and the projects would be completed in time for graduation.

“This is game changing for our kids,” said Dr. Penelope DeLeon, who is the Oxnard Union High School District Superintendent. “Our kids are going to have premier high school facilities from top to bottom.”

DeLeon says all of the high schools will be transformed into state of the art school grounds. Up first Camarillo, Hueneme, and Pacifica high school where stadium renovations are in full swing.

“Our schools are getting new artificial turf fields,” said DeLeon. “They are also going to be getting scoreboards, new goal post, some of them will be getting new snack bars. They will all be getting Victory Arches."

The football stadiums should be done right before gradation. After that stadium renovations will start at Rio Mesa, Channel Islands and Oxnard high schools. The projects also include installing air conditioning units and making major security upgrades.

“So that means brand new secure lobbies with locking doors where people can not go to where the students are,” said DeLeon. “People will have to check in and scan their ID when they come in, new fencing, and new digital cameras.”

“I need to ensure when parents send their kids to Pacifica high school that I can keep them safe,” said Ted Lawrence, who is the principal at Pacifica High School.

The upgrades will cost nearly 500-million dollars, 350-million of that will be covered by Measure A, State funding, and left over money from previous measures.

"I want to see the looks on my kids faces when they walk into an air conditioned classroom, when they see the new lobby that will keep them safe,” said Lawrence.

“People are going to want to come to Oxnard Union High School because they will have the best schools anywhere in this county, and I will put us up against the State when we are done with this,” said DeLeon.

For more information you can log on to the district website at www.oxnardunion.org.