Shortly after the March 7 grand opening ceremony that invited San Clemente stakeholders to celebrate the completed renovation of San Clemente High School’s library, also known as Dr. Pat Ibanez Research and Media Center, the campus is already seeing the revamp’s benefits.
Jennifer Moffroid, one of SCHS’s librarians, told San Clemente Times there is a “broader demographic” of students walking through the library’s doors compared to before, when the space was mainly for people who wanted quiet and less intellectual stimulation. Now, more students feel comfortable gathering inside and chatting with friends.
“That was really one of the things that the (San Clemente High School Educational Foundation) wanted to do, is invest in a place that was all for the students, not just the (Advanced Placement) students, not just the special-needs students, but every student,” said Moffroid.
A comfortable lounge area is part of San Clemente High’s renovated library. Photo: C. Jayden Smith
Work on the renovation project lasted a little more than a year, after the SCEF Board of Directors voted in September 2022 to contribute $250,000 from the foundation’s endowment accumulated over the years to the project. The Capistrano Unified School District also contributed significantly, according to SCHS Principal Chris Carter.
In addition to the project bringing in new “flexible” furniture and shelving, three large monitors and 16 new high-top computer workstations, CUSD completed “behind the scenes” work such as installing new lighting, painting the building and redoing the ceiling and internet wiring.
“The Ed Foundation does a wonderful job of always giving back to ensure that we have great programs to support student learning, and the library is probably the pinnacle of all of the great things they've done,” Carter told SC Times.
More than 70 people attended the grand opening event, with hors d’oeuvres provided by the school’s culinary arts students. Carter, SCEF President Garry Green and SCEF Board Chair Jim Sigafoos spoke to donors, CUSD Trustees and school personnel.
The ribbon-cutting at the renovated San Clemente High library on March 7. Photo: C. Jayden Smith
The “very successful” event, Carter said, served to celebrate the donors for their contributions to the community. He added the community’s support through the SCEF was especially important and remarkable given the struggles to pass a bond for capital improvements.
Most of the buildings on campus, including the administration building, counseling offices, pool, the Triton Center, and the 100-700 classrooms, are well past their prime, according to Carter.
“They're beyond their lifespan and need to be replaced,” he said. “It's going to be paramount that we pass a bond and, unfortunately, it needed to happen five or six years ago, so a lot of our facilities are on borrowed time.”
The library, and other such matters, are where the SCEF has made its hay since its founding in 1998. The organization contributes between $130,000 and $150,000 each academic year for various initiatives, including after-school tutoring, counseling and teacher training programs, according to Sigafoos.
Essentially, the SCEF provided two years’ worth of funding for one project, he added.
Moffroid said the renovation created a significantly more welcoming environment for students. Whereas tall, dark wooden bookshelves blocked the midcentury windows on the southwestern wall and produced a dark atmosphere, the project brought in white shelving that allows light to flow into the building and space to display student art.
The school worked with two furniture companies that provided information about recent trends in outfitting other schools, and Moffroid also shared her knowledge from her master’s degree in library science during the project.
“This soft seating is a real trend, (and) these tall tables are a real trend,” she said. “It’s a lot more modern seating for this demographic.”
Again reflecting on the school’s failed bond in 2020, Moffroid pointed to the renovation as a piecemeal approach to bringing the school to the modern age. The progress has been inspiring, she added, and has affected students and parents beyond the reality of a new library.
“We’re moving into the future with whatever resources we have, and we’re maximizing them,” said Moffroid. “We’re not just waiting for some big-ticket bond; we’re going to do what we can do.”