Newport-Mesa meetings will discuss fencing at 3 schools and Estancia pool project

Newport-Mesa Unified School District officials have scheduled community meetings this week to share the district’s preliminary plans to install fencing and renovate offices at three elementary schools.

The first meeting is Wednesday at Wilson Elementary School, 801 Wilson St., Costa Mesa.

The second is Thursday at Mariners Elementary School, 2100 Mariners Drive, Newport Beach.

The third is Friday at Newport Heights Elementary School, 300 E. 15th St., Newport Beach.

All meetings begin at 6 p.m.

In December, the district approved a $244,040 agreement for Irvine-based Studio + Architecture to design plans for security fencing and office renovations at the three schools.

Newport-Mesa has said it is installing fencing to control visitor access points and help enhance security at school sites.

Fencing projects were completed in recent years at Adams, Andersen, Victoria and Eastbluff elementary schools.

Estancia pool meeting Thursday

On Thursday morning, Newport-Mesa will discuss how to proceed with its delayed Estancia High School aquatic center project.

A special board meeting is scheduled for 8 a.m. at the district offices at 2985 Bear St. in Costa Mesa.

The board will hear from Vista-based architect Arch Pac on whether Estancia’s existing pool, which was drained in June, could be put back in use until construction begins on the new aquatic center.

District staff also will present financial options for completing the aquatic center all at once or in phases over several years. The school board in December directed staff to find more money for the project after construction bids came in high and delayed groundbreaking.

Also in December, an online petition called on the district to refill the pool before the 2018 swim season. As of Tuesday, the petition had gathered 495 signatures toward its goal of 1,000.

The estimated $7-million aquatic center project, approved in 2016, was expected to begin in August with plans for an Olympic-size 50-meter pool, a coaches’ office, a team room, pool restrooms, a snack bar, site work and furnishings, a lunch area and other spaces.

The Costa Mesa school is the only one among the district’s four comprehensive high schools that does not have an Olympic-size pool.

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UPDATES:

2:35 p.m.: This article was updated with the information about the Estancia pool meeting.

This article was originally published at 10:30 a.m.