From Volume 2, Number 2 Published October 1, 2001
Polishing the B.H.S. jewel
As Burlingame High students turn their thoughts to summer vacation, school administrators turn their attention to some $26 million worth of improvements the school is scheduled to undergo. The main building has had few upgrades since it was built in 1923 to accommodate 800 students. With current enrollment of about 1,300 and average class size creeping up to 35, the new bond money from Measure D that was passed in November 2000 is arriving none too soon.
Principal Jerry Arrigoni recently gave The Burlingame Voice a tour of the main building and the music building to point out the wide variety of things that need fixing. The number one priority will be changes needed to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act. These include installing ramps, elevators, lowering door latches, modifications to the stage and fixing the now infamous student bathrooms. Work starts this summer.
The next priority is basic infrastructure. Heating, electrical, and irrigation systems all need attention as do the walkways, skylights and original windows. With much of the original woodwork, solid oak doors and three original Frederick Pawla murals from the Work Projects Administration (WPA) era still in place, BHS is a great example of how a school building can become a city treasure that is more valued over time. The Pawla mural in the main building (see photo) dates from the 1930s and portrays a two Native Americans watching covered wagon crossing the plains during the Gold Rush. Mr. Arrigoni had clear concern for the vintage fixtures that give BHS character.
The music building located behind the main building is the third renovation priority. Needs have changed over time from more small rooms to fewer large rooms, so the building's floor plan has become more cumbersome. Arrigoni's vision of a new 'Da Vinci' pavilion housing music, science and technology classes would be the most visible change to the school’s facilities - if the budget allows it to flourish.
By taking advantage of company and government grants and by using modern ideas such as wireless local area computer networks to avoid wiring costs, BHS can step into the modern era without losing the welcoming feel it has offered since 1923. The changes should help BHS accommodate as many Burlingame students as possible after the redistricting that may take place next year. Burlingame High is popular and the remodeling can only make it more popular since San Mateo High has been condemned.
Polishing the B.H.S. jewel
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| A mural in the music room that was painted during the depression. |
Principal Jerry Arrigoni recently gave The Burlingame Voice a tour of the main building and the music building to point out the wide variety of things that need fixing. The number one priority will be changes needed to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act. These include installing ramps, elevators, lowering door latches, modifications to the stage and fixing the now infamous student bathrooms. Work starts this summer.
 |
| A detail of a mural in the main entrance that was painted during the depression. |
The next priority is basic infrastructure. Heating, electrical, and irrigation systems all need attention as do the walkways, skylights and original windows. With much of the original woodwork, solid oak doors and three original Frederick Pawla murals from the Work Projects Administration (WPA) era still in place, BHS is a great example of how a school building can become a city treasure that is more valued over time. The Pawla mural in the main building (see photo) dates from the 1930s and portrays a two Native Americans watching covered wagon crossing the plains during the Gold Rush. Mr. Arrigoni had clear concern for the vintage fixtures that give BHS character.
The music building located behind the main building is the third renovation priority. Needs have changed over time from more small rooms to fewer large rooms, so the building's floor plan has become more cumbersome. Arrigoni's vision of a new 'Da Vinci' pavilion housing music, science and technology classes would be the most visible change to the school’s facilities - if the budget allows it to flourish.
By taking advantage of company and government grants and by using modern ideas such as wireless local area computer networks to avoid wiring costs, BHS can step into the modern era without losing the welcoming feel it has offered since 1923. The changes should help BHS accommodate as many Burlingame students as possible after the redistricting that may take place next year. Burlingame High is popular and the remodeling can only make it more popular since San Mateo High has been condemned.
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