Kara Nikfar

Palm trees by the College and Career Center were trimmed to avoid falling branches in windy weather.

Walking onto  campus early in the school year, students may have noticed changes such as new flowers and plants adding pops of color to classroom hallways. 

Each summer, the maintenance crew does routine annual work like rewaxing the gym and dance studio floors but they also do new refurbishments such as the new planter boxes in the language wing, the trimming of lower branches on trees and the removal of the juniper bushes along Herriman Avenue. 

Fresh flowers now brighten several areas of campus, including the sports plaza at the football field entrance, Hyde Park, the school drop-off zone and the entrances to both the music and McAfee buildings. 

“We intentionally chose to reintroduce plants that once thrived in this area, filling the gaps left by years of absence,” said maintenance and operations supervisor Henry Arellanes. “Our goal is to restore the natural beauty and biodiversity that has been lost over time.”

 

As new greenery was added, some older plants were removed. Juniper bushes in the parking lot were taken out due to a rodent infestation and overgrowth, posing a safety risk due to hidden stinging insects.

 

Several trees were also removed, and the lower branches of trees by the cafeteria, parking lot and CCC were trimmed. 

Arellanes said regular inspections aim to identify whether the landscaping is safe in all scenarios, recognizing how low hanging branches can pose a safety hazard. This was seen in an incident last year where a palm tree branch nearly hit a student during a stormy day. Cutting down old tree branches was necessary to keep the campus safe. The work was completed by a certified removal company and took approximately two weeks, Arellanes said. 

 

 

In addition to the landscaping, the gymnasium and dance studio floors were given a fresh coat of wax as part of the school’s annual maintenance program. The work was intended to improve surface quality and extend the life of the flooring, though students and staff have noted varying results in how the floors perform during use.

Some students initially reported it was difficult to adjust to the newly waxed floors due to its initial slippery feel, but as the practices progressed, they became accustomed and adjusted to the rewax. Junior dance team member Hannah Hwang even mentioned it made turns easier.

The  maintenance crew aims to do work that isn’t easy to do during the other months of the year.

“The district did a great job supporting us on making the campus changes this summer,” assistant principal Matthew Torrens said. “The timing of all these changes were perfect because of our new solar panel plans.”