Los Alamitos Area School Back After Long Term Asbestos Removal

LOS ALAMITOS, CA — The sounds of laughter on a long empty playground have teachers and parents smiling once again.

Today, a Huntington Beach school that was closed for nearly two years to undergo asbestos abatement reopened as a renovated campus with high-tech equipment and a new focus.

Lake View Elementary School was one of three Ocean View School District campuses closed in fall 2014 after asbestos fibers were found in the buildings. Hope View and Oak View elementary schools were eventually scrubbed and reopened, but Lake View remained shuttered for a more thorough cleaning.

"It's done. Lake View is complete," Ocean View School District board president Gina Clayton-Tarvin told KCAL9 during a grand-reopening celebration. "You cannot spare a dollar, you can't spare any amount of money for the protection and the safety of children."

Lake View students and staff spent the last two years at different campuses while the renovation work was completed -- making today's first day of school a festive occasion.

The school's classrooms have been renovated, many with high-tech computers and other equipment as the campus focuses on a STEAM-based curriculum, highlighting programs in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

"This school looks amazing," one parent told KCAL9. One of the teachers added, "It's really like being in a dream school."

City News Service, Google Earth Photo Screenshot of Lakeview Elementary School.