School looks good on paper

The Las Virgenes Unified School District board of education has approved schematic drawings for the expansion and remodel of the 40-year-old Lindero Canyon Middle School campus.

District staff, school site personnel and a citizens oversight committee worked with WLC Architects of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. to translate the needs of the school into a workable schematic design.

Robert Hensley of WLC received input on the school’s needs from a variety of sources. The firm’s designs were shared with the public and the cities of Agoura Hills and Westlake Village at a neighborhood forum.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Donald Zimring, the school district’s deputy superintendent. He said the school has been overtaxed and overextended for years. The campus was designed for about 800 students, but at one time housed more than 2,000, he said.

Hensley told board members the Lindero project will be a “unified campus.” Some buildings will be used for dual purposes, Hensley said.

The key element in the approved design is adequate space, according to Hensley.

The design of the administration and counseling center was revised and now features entrances from outside the campus area for parents and personnel, and an inner entry to a lobby area for students. The present building will be completely gutted to accommodate the new design.

At the community meeting a parent suggested adding a transparent wall to the design of the 5,000-square-foot multipurpose building. The “operable wall” would allow overflow seating in the lunch area. Zimring said people sitting in the lunch area could also watch performances.

“We are 100 percent behind this schematic,” said Jerry Orland, chair of the oversight committee. Lindero Canyon principal Ronald Kaiser also approved changes in the design.

The plan includes a new science building with two-story classrooms and a library multimedia center with computers and an adjoining classroom. Athletic fields will be unified and the lunch area redone so all the students can eat at the same time. A separate sixth-grade lunch area is also planned.

The number of classrooms decreased from 42 to 40, Hensley said, to accommodate design changes.

Also approved is an open gallery wall in the center of the school where teachers will be able to display students’ work.

“This is a great day for Lindero,” board of education president Terilyn Finders said.

WLC will now develop drawings for construction.