During spring break, carpets were installed on top of the tiles in the 400 and 500 wings as well as a fresh coat of paint the outside of the rooms. This refurbishment is part of a long-term plan to improve the classroom experience and quality for both the students and the custodial staff.

“It certainly makes the maintenance much better,” Assistant Principal Galen Rosenberg said. “I think it is just a better environment in the classroom.”

Large-scale refurbishments are not funded by the high school, but by the school district. The total cost of the carpeting in 16 classrooms was $95,278, and the painting was a total of $27,568.  Spring break was chosen to refurbish the classrooms as no students were on campus and because it was the only expensive project on campus.

“Sometimes you have more unanticipated projects that take up more of your money,” Associate Superintendent Mike Mathiesen said. “We were waiting to see whether unexpected projects might come up, but as we got later in the year, we realized fewer of those happen so we had more dollars available.”

Los Altos has received renovation in the past with the 200 and 300 buildings receiving the same treatment three years ago and the school plans to renovate the 700 wing next.

“We hope to complete 400 and 500 [wings] by the end of the summer… and then by the next summer, the math and science buildings,” Rosenberg said.