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Planning Schools for the Next Generation
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By Christopher J. Steinhauser
Superintendent of Schools
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The Long Beach Unified School District has completed numerous school construction and renovation projects since voters approved local school bonds in 1999. Today, our school system is embarking on further facilities planning to make certain that students will continue to learn in safe and modern classrooms for many years to come.
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The newest planning effort will result in the development of a Facility Master Plan for the school district. The plan will outline short- and long-term facility decisions for all schools in the district, as well as the cost of improvements and a timeframe for implementation of work.
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The purpose of these special web pages is to help keep you informed and involved as our planning moves forward. You’ll find a wealth of information about our school facilities, as well as listings of public meetings where we encourage your attendance.
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For planning purposes, the school district has been divided into seven planning areas drawn according to six high school attendance boundaries and Catalina Island. Guided by facilities experts, a committee representing parents, teachers, administrators and community representatives of all schools located within each planning area boundary will meet during the 2006-07 school year. Each planning area committee will tour schools, review and analyze information, assist with gathering input from the broader community, and help to finalize recommendations for their planning area.
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In addition to these meetings, each high school area will host a community dialogue in late November and again in mid-February. District residents are encouraged to contact representatives of their area committee to provide input, and to attend the fall and spring community dialogues. Both community dialogue sessions have been designed to allow for full community participation and input. With the help of this community input, we will finalize our facility plans, identifying specific projects and priorities.
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With the support of our parents and other residents, the Long Beach Unified School District will continue providing the proper learning environments that our students need and deserve. This will help our schools to continue the steady gains they are making in student achievement, and ultimately, that means brighter futures for our students.
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I hope you will check back here frequently as we continually update these web pages with information about this important effort. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about your local schools.
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Christopher J. Steinhauser
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