Rain poured through the ceilings of the newly renovated 600 building causing major damage to the ceiling and carpets in rooms 612, 613, auto and photo’s darkroom on Oct. 14.
The cause of the leaks is unknown, but Ray Purcell, Barnhart, Inc. field superintendent, said it was because the majority of the roof was not renovated.

By Sarah Santoyo
Editor-in-Chief

“Anytime you put an old system with a new system, it doesn’t always bond,” Purcell said. “There is always a potential for leaks in the patched areas.”
Because it would have gone over budget, only 10 percent of the roof was renovated.. The project was paid for with $2.6 million of Measure B bond funds, according to Noemi Avila-Zamudio, the district’s facilities planning and construction coordinator.

“If it were my house, I would fix the roof before I invested in classrooms,” Chip McGhee, special education teacher, said. “These classrooms were pristine. It was a waste of money.”
Because the rooms were flooded, students had to move to other classrooms so they could run the dehumidifiers for a week.
Despite the flooding issues, the majority of the renovation fared well when they opened the doors on Sept. 29.
“It turned out really good,” Ford said. “There are a few bugs here and there to work out, but it’s awesome.”
One of those “bugs” included altering the projector screens because they were not aligned with the LCD projectors. The same design was used for three other campuses including Trabuco Hills, but once they were put in, it was decided that they were too low. The placement of the screens and LCD projectors were redone courtesy of CVT, the company the district uses for LCDs and other electronics.
One inconvenience for teachers, according to Ford, was not having time to move in and prepare the classrooms. The building was originally scheduled for completion during the summer.
“There was really no time to transfer and we are still in boxes,” Ford said.
Despite a few inconveniences, the modernization has brought the 600 building into the new era.  The construction crew gutted the inside of the building, tore down old walls and ceilings and replaced the majority of major electrical components. The new equipment, being the highlight of the renovati on, includes the new LCD projectors, cabinetry, a 3D printer, the laser cutter/engraver and the media lab.
“It’s a high-end place with state of the art technology for students at ET,” Ford said.
Students who were used to regular classrooms were impressed by face-lifted building as well.
“I think it looks way more updated and it doesn’t smell bad like it used to,” senior Hayley Walthall said. “I really appreciate that they did this for the students even though we are in tough times.”