5 APS schools set for improvements

May 04, 2011

tonight, aps will decide whether to spend more than 40-million dollars on improvements and upgrades for five a-p-s schools. one of those schools would get more than half of that huge sum. jeff maher is live along candelaria near pennsylvania with more on the plans. jeff. if the money is approved -- sandia high school will be getting a 21-million dollar facelift -- both the staff and students tell me some improvements are greatly needed here. "this entire area was part of the flood we had, they've come back in and tried to repair the tiles and things" sandia high school assistant principal mike robertson says it's clear why the school needs a huge makeover. not only did many classrooms and hallways suffer water damage from bursting pipes during the big freeze earlier this year, but also limited space is problem in the classrooms. "we're really in need ofn update and as far as it goes, this is a perfect start for us" sandia high is just one of five schools a-p-s plans to spend big bucks on in this latest phase of upgrading schools -- by tearing down and building new classrooms. the money is coming from bonds approved by voters. sandia is about fifty years old. "our newest building, the science building, which is about 35 years old, is the one that's the most desperate need" along with new classrooms, sandia will be getting a new library. the building is outdated...and so are the computers. many students can't wait for the renovations to be completed -- especially when they compare - - state of the art a-p-s schools like volcano vista, and atrisco heritage -- to what they have now. "i think it's needed because the school is so old, like where it's not going to interrupt our learning process but help our learning process" if a-p-s leaders approve the funding tonight -- the project will move forward. here at sandia, construction will begin in march of next year and will be finished in 2014.