Chico High’s upgrade

Chico Unified School District has had a hard time of it lately, but there is one bright spot on the horizon: the new building at Chico High. Last week (Nov. 16) the school celebrated the placement of the final structural beam with a topping-out ceremony. The building is expected to be finished and ready for use by next school year. It’s being paid for with Measure A funding approved in 1998 to build a new high school.

For Principal Jim Hanlon, this is an exciting time amidst a lot of budget woes. For one, this will be the first permanent addition to the campus since the administrative building was built in 1967. Second, it will mean the addition of 18 classrooms, three labs and a common area, and the end of portables.

“It will bring all of the teachers on the outskirts of campus in, so we’ll get to see them,” Hanlon said. “Plus we’ll get a lot of field space back—it’s a whole lot of positives.”