By: Elijah Cabatic, Staff Writer

The construction in front of Mills is projected to be finished by November and will include a complete redesign of the front of the school and the total removal or encapsulation of the remaining transite in the school. 

Thanks to Measure L, passed four years ago which aimed and gave funding for improving the infrastructure of the schools in the San Mateo Union High School District. Mills specifically had many walls made of Transite, a mix of concrete and asbestos, a known carcinogen. “During that period of time when Mills was built … 1958 included this transite material”, Principal Duszynski said, “What I’ve learned throughout the time I’ve worked on the project in the front of the school there, aside from the walls, [is that] there’s not any asbestos that I’m aware of.” 

The transite panels have all been removed or encapsulated (covering them with other materials) meaning that they are not a risk to Mills students. Mills decided to take advantage of this funding to also redo the front of the school. They were able to remove the facade walls that flanked the entrance and gave the landscaping a refresh. 

Included in this landscaping are the large metal structures that were up over the summer. According to Principal Duszynski, “The committee that worked with the architects to design the front of the school included these shade structures, which are kind of meant to look like the sails on a Viking ship.” She also said, “I think, after the pandemic, we had a lot of students who were spending brunch and lunch out in front of our school and for pickup, you know, and there’s…not a lot of shade out there at all.” She said that there would be new benches, plants, and sitting rocks for the front of the school as well for students to enjoy lunch or wait for their parents to pick them up. 

When asked about the completion date she said “We’re hoping by November.” The renovations in front of the school will help bring a new look to the now over 60-year old school and create a more enjoyable environment.

 The main users of the front of the school are the students and their opinions seem generally positive based on the renderings  given to the Thunderbolt by Principal Duszynski.

Junior Jayvis Choy who thought that the original front of the school looked nice. When shown the rendering of the school he said “I might say it is actually better because if I look at these pictures I can see there is more space, like more grass…Now I see there is more free space for people to sit so I like that. ” 

For junior Valerie Or who often ate lunch in front of the school she said, “The construction has greatly impacted me since my friends and I have been displaced from our regular lunch spot. For some reason, it’s extremely windy in that front area by where the tables used to be, so my hopes for new features would be that the construction will somehow change that.”

Principal Dusinski said, “I just want to thank the committee that helped put the design together, which included parents, students, staff, teachers, the district, for supporting the project and, you know, making it happen for us and creating a more student friendly space and something we can, you know, be proud of and really use on our campus.”