Luther Burbank

BURBANK - Luther Burbank Middle School is nearing completion of the first phase of its modernization process, and it's doing so on schedule, officials said. The first phase, which includes four renovated science rooms, three classrooms, a new culinary-arts room, locker rooms and gymnasium, is scheduled to be completed in November, the district's Chief Facilities Officer Craig Jellison said. The school will also have a 20-year maintenance-free roof for every building, and underground infrastructure complete with electrical, sewer and water lines, he said.

Dawn Brookey had a career change after dropping by a friend’s class at Luther Burbank Middle School. The attorney would often visit Anita Schackmann’s class as students read the play “12 Angry Men.” Brookey would speak about juries, the legal system and what she does as a lawyer. Then she became a history teacher. “It inspired me to go back to school,” she said. On Tuesday, that decision paid off in spades, and a $1,000 prize, when she was honored at the Universal Hilton as one of 16 people named Los Angeles County Teachers of the Year, and the only one from Burbank Unified School District.

BURBANK — Students at Luther Burbank and Jordan middle schools, which are undergoing modernization of their campus facilities, will soon see changes in their classrooms and their eateries. At Luther Burbank Middle School, students will get their meals from carts instead of the cafeteria, while the cafeteria undergoes major improvements this month, Principal Anita Schackman said. Construction on floors, surfaces, windows and wall paint in the cafeteria was supposed to begin in September 2007, but will now start on April 30, to lessen the inconvenience on campus, Schackman said.

BURBANK — Modernization projects at Luther Burbank Middle School and William McKinley Elementary School are nearing completion, and district officials are planning to start work on two more campuses by the summer. Luther’s improvements include new interior walls, flooring, painting and air conditioning at its administrative offices and classrooms, according to district documents. Work at McKinley includes new paint, roof repair and playground resurfacing. Air conditioning, lighting, flooring, electrical work and underground infrastructure — like water, gas and sewer pipes — are also among the upgrades expected to be completed at McKinley and Luther by April, he said.

Crystal Navarrete decided entering a pageant would be a good opportunity to make new friends. But the 12-year-old Burbank resident didn't expect to win the grand prize and walk away with cash and prizes. Crystal, a seventh-grader at Luther Burbank Middle School, took home the crown after competing against 185 girls at the National American Miss Pageants regional pre-teen competition in Garden Grove. "I was, to be completely honest ? I was really shocked," Crystal said.

BURBANK — As an end to modernization at Luther Burbank Middle School and William McKinley Elementary School nears, district administrators and board members will soon be taking stock of major needs on campuses throughout the city. Both Luther Middle School and McKinley Elementary School will be entering the last phases of their modernization projects this winter, said Craig Jellison, senior director of facilities. “We’re doing very well,” Jellison said at Tuesday night’s school facilities oversight committee meeting.

BURBANK — Contractors at Luther Burbank Middle School are struggling this month to recover from several foul-ups that have left the school's modernization project behind schedule. Senior Facilities Director Craig Jellison reported to the School Facilities Oversight Committee on July 10 that the project was 4 1/2 weeks behind schedule. Board of Education Vice President Larry Applebaum walked the premises last week and said the project, which includes an overhaul of the entire school, seems to be almost caught up. "By the time [students]

BURBANK — Luther Burbank Middle School Principal Anita Schackmann was a walking command station amid the chaos and confusion of the first day of school on Monday, coolly delegating tasks via walkie-talkie while she earnestly welcomed students and teachers. Though ongoing renovations at Luther are taking shape, parts of the school grounds still remain under construction, compounding the traditionally hectic ringing in of the school year. The first phase has already yielded renovated classrooms, bathrooms, an art room and an auditorium, outfitted with air-conditioning, which was partially funded through Federal Aviation Administration soundproofing measures, Schackmann said.

BURBANK — Luther Burbank Middle School staff members are in a tight squeeze this month. The attendance office is the last thing to be ripped up and redone at the tail end of the school’s $12.9-million modernization project. But it is resulting in staff members returning from their winter breaks to desks pushed together in a makeshift office. “It’s a little bit disconcerting,” said Aggie Sosa, attendance clerk at Luther Middle School. “We’re hanging in there.