New floors are being installed in most of the transportable rooms at Bonita Vista High (BVH). The project began as of Feb 3, 2020. The floors have not been modified since their installation in the 1980s, making this a project that has been long overdue, according to BVH Plan Operation Supervisor, Edmundo Serrano.

“Back in 1999 [the original construction workers] moved the relocatable, portable buildings to the 900s area, but they weren’t supposed to be there permanently; they were only supposed to be there temporarily. They left the buildings there, and they’ve been there ever since. The flooring was just never adequate for the traffic it got for 20-30 years now, but the construction workers finally replaced it and put the proper flooring that we need,” Serrano said.

The floors of six classrooms are being replaced due to a variety of problems associated with structural integrity. 

“We’re getting new flooring [and] new baseboards. The water damage from flooding split the tiles. The water gets underneath, and the pressure from the water pops the tile and cracks it. That’s why some tiles were propped up, especially in the 800s bathroom,” Serrano said.

However, problems associated with structural integrity are not restricted to bathrooms. Many classrooms have damaged floors that may pose threats to the learning environment that students are in on a daily basis, according to BVH Assistant Principal Carlos Siragusa.

“I think that a learning environment should look nice and presentable. When you make things look nice, it gives off the vibe that people actually care about what’s going on in here,” Siragusa said.

The rooms receiving floor renovations include 913, 914, 802 and 804. Some rooms already have newly completed floors, including rooms 911 and 912. Contractors have been selected by the Sweetwater Union High School District (SUHSD) to conduct the process of removing and replacing the floors.

“We strip everything on top of the floors and clean it every year, but you can only do so much stripping and cleaning before you need to replace the entire system. This is the first time the district has lifted the floor and replaced everything underneath at BVH,” Serrano said.

On average, floor renovations usually range from three days to a week. Along with furniture and decorations, students and teachers are also displaced during the process. Despite the move, Spanish teacher Maria De La Cruz stated that she hopes that the new floor plan will have benefits that outweigh the cons. The new floors may provide a better learning environment through modernization.

“We just have to plan around it, and as teachers, we just have to be flexible. We should be happy [the district] is actually doing things like this. I think that the new floors are beautiful,” De La Cruz said.