Measure receives A+

COSTA MESA — The first bond measure in Newport-Mesa history came to a close on Monday morning — not with the blowing of trumpets, not with the cheering of crowds, but rather with the quiet peeling of stickers.

At 2 p.m. outside Estancia High School, construction worker Dave Aguirre walked along a row of freshly installed windowpanes and peeled the orange labels off of each one. A handful of co-workers stood off to the side, their equipment packed in the truck. When the last sticker came off, Newport-Mesa officially closed the book on Measure A — seven years, $194.5 million and 27 schools after voters passed it in summer 2000.

“It’s a wonderful tribute to the dedication and commitment from the community in support of our local schools, as well as the district oversight and construction management teams, and should serve as a model for others to strive to,” said Newport-Mesa administrative services coordinator Laura Boss.

The $110-million bond measure, supplemented by matching funds from the state, repaired interiors and infrastructure, cleaned restrooms, updated technology and made other improvements to campuses. When the district, led by then-Supt. Robert Barbot, proposed Measure A in late 1999, many of the schools had fallen into disrepair over the decades.

In the end, Newport-Mesa achieved most of its goals under Measure A — but not all, as construction costs rose over the years.

Some of the plans, including new athletic facilities, cropped up again on the project list for Measure F, the district’s second bond passed by voters in 2005.

Nevertheless, project director Bonnie Martin, whose firm McCarthy Building Companies oversaw the construction, called Measure A one of the most successful bonds she had experienced.

“I don’t think anybody really had an inkling of how difficult it was going to be to phase these schools with interim housing and do this construction on occupied campuses,” she said. “It was very safe and, for the most part, the parents and the staff were very happy with it.”

She noted that Newport-Mesa ultimately received more money for Measure A than it had expected, due to interest from invested funds and inflation that drove up the state’s contributions. The additional dollars, Martin said, went to upgrade and replace portable classrooms on Newport-Mesa campuses.