CUTTING THE CORD: (from left) Manhattan Beach Unified School District Board of Trustees member Jennifer Cochran, Ellen Rosenberg, Bill Fournell, Chrstine Cronin-Hurst and Karen Komatinsky cut the ribbon in Costa’s black box theater on March 31 to commemorate the completion of Measure BB.
By Claire Gunning
Staff Writer
Superintendent Dr. Michael Matthews hosted the ribbon cutting ceremony at Costa on March 31 to celebrate the completion of Measure BB construction.
This measure allowed for the renovation and the addition of new educational facilities such as the math and science buildings, the Mustang Mall, renovation of rooms 40 through 81, the art room, the multipurpose room and the new orchestra and band rooms.
“The campus is amazing and beautiful,” Costa Principal Dr. Ben Dale said. “The facilities finally match our amazing school.
All the new buildings that were added and refurbished during construction are completed. The budget for the construction totaled at $54,700,000.
“I am so grateful to the community for providing this space for our students and for putting up with all the construction that has been going on for the past couple of years,” Dale said.
The ceremony took place in the new multipurpose room. After the ribbon was cut, a tour was led around the new campus.
The Mustang Mall in the new quad includes tables where students can charge their devices using solar energy. Currently, the administration is collecting donations for more tables on the Costa website.
“Parents have donated the solar umbrellas that provide charging stations for students, and we accepted the donation because we thought students would love them,” Matthews said. “I spoke to five students yesterday, and they all said the tables were awesome.”
During the ceremony, Costa’s Chamber Orchestra performed along with the Cheer Squad in the new multipurpose room.
“Performing at the ribbon cutting ceremony was a fun way to support Mira Costa and to share lots of school spirit with the board members and the guests there that night,” freshman cheerleader Saskia Jacobson said.
The access roads near Meadows Avenue are currently under construction and will also be covered by Measure BB. The roads will be completed by the end of April.
As Measure BB construction comes to an end, MBUSD is beginning to prepare construction on the varsity softball and junior varsity soccer field for turf, with funding from the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation. According to Dale, the school hopes to be granted another bond for the reconstruction of the school gyms.
“I think that the construction was a gigantic success, due to the happiness of the students and the way the campus looks,” Matthews said. “I am thrilled by the quality of the work, and I think it will make a difference for years to come.”
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