Guadalupe Union School District's two campuses will soon get much-needed face lifts - the largest such project in the district's history.

Mary Buren Elementary and Kermit McKenzie Junior High schools will get more than $4 million combined in classroom renovations as part of a continuing effort to modernize the schools.

The project will be funded by a hardship grant from the state.

The project is set to begin when school lets out in June, and all work is slated for completion by the time school starts up again in the fall.

“It has ... to do with student comfort and modernization. This is simply keeping classrooms fresh and modern,” said Anthony Palazzo, the lead architect of the project.

Palazzo is a principal architect with Santa Maria-based Phillips Metsch Sweeney Moore Architects.

Every 25 years, districts are eligible for funds from the state to renovate or upgrade their schools.

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McKenzie has not been renovated since it was built in the late 1950s, though some older sections of Buren received some light upgrades about 10 years ago, Palazzo said.

The district - which previously had difficulty securing funding for the project - became eligible for a hardship grant last year, so the state will be picking up 100 percent of the project's tab, Palazzo said.

The grant is meant to assist cash-strapped school districts with important construction projects to ensure that those districts can continue to keep their buildings and other facilities in top condition.

However, the money cannot be used for any other purpose, said Superintendent Hugo Lara.

Classrooms in the two main buildings at McKenzie will be modernized with new cabinetry and other cosmetic touches, along with upgrades of the buildings' electrical, heating and ventilation systems, Palazzo said.

Buren classrooms will be outfitted with new wall surfaces, among other improvements in the same vein as the McKenzie upgrades.

If there is money left over after the classroom modernizations, offices at both schools will be redone.

Though Lara said he appreciates the opportunity to modernize the district's buildings, he also couldn't help but see the incongruity of the situation in light of the $4.8 billion cut to education the governor has proposed for the 2008-2009 school year.

“The irony of all this is that we're going to be receiving about $4.5 million for this work in a year (that) education is dying on the vine,” he said. “Here we don't have enough to educate students, but we're fortunate that we're receiving money from the state to modernize our schools.”

Natalie Ragus can be reached at 347-4580 or nragus@santamariatimes.com.

March 19, 2008