YOUR BOND DOLLARS AT WORK: Chatsworth HS Gets New Gym Floors and A/C System

Chatsworth gym floors prior to upgrade.Chatsworth High School's gym reopened  last month with new wood floors and a new (and first-ever!) air conditioning system to help cool the athletic space during hot, West Valley days.

The gym upgrades were funded using roughly $1.1 million dollars coming from CIPR- Capital Improvement Program Reserve funds and Bond Measure Y, a $3.9 billion dollar bond passed by voters in 2005 to upgrade facilities and build new schools to reduce school overcrowding. The bond money allowed the school to replace the gym’s tired, splintered wooden floors, and to at last get air conditioning so students can exercise even when Valley temperatures climb into the triple digits. The school will also  receive baseball netting to prevent balls from going out into the street.

“I am so thankful to Tamar for these upgrades,” said Timothy Guy, Chatsworth High School’s Principal.  He also thanked Sherri Osborn for putting endless volunteer hours to make sure that the projects were completed.

Gym space following upgrade.    The projects finished on-time and on-budget.
 
During the six months of construction, students at this high-achieving athletic school were allowed to use the gym at Mason Park, which is next door. Four volleyball teams, the wrestling squad, five basketball teams, the Beyond the Bell Program, the San Fernando Valley Korean Olympics and the community at large—all of whom would normally use the Chatsworth High gym—scheduled their practices and events at the Mason Park gym.

Now that the work is complete, students and sports teams are proud to return to their own gym, and they are treating the upgraded space with extra care, Guy said.
 
“We do not allow food or drinks in the gym,” said Guy. “Kids, parents, and visiting schools see the gym and know that they should respect the space.”