Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Building Expected to Begin on Delayed School Project : Santa Clarita: Mountainview Elementary was to be finished months ago. But the site developer was replaced.

SANTA CLARITA — On site construction is finally expected to begin next week on a new elementary school that was supposed to be finished several months ago.

The Mountainview Elementary School, to be located on donated land near a new residential development, is now set to open at the end of April, according to Art Clark, assistant superintendent of business services for the Saugus Union School District.

The project was delayed when the developer of the site was replaced by the landowner, Clark said. The original developer, Paragon Homes, donated the 10-acre school site as part of its deal to build a 1,600-unit residential development. Paragon also agreed to provide roads for the school.

“That’s more than any other developer has done,” said Clark.

But Paragon didn’t follow through on several matters, Clark said, including obtaining a key license agreement from the state Department of Water and Power to build two roads that will cross an underground aqueduct.

Earlier this year the landowner, First Nationwide Bank, replaced Paragon with FN Development of Irvine.

“The second developer had to go back, review what the first developer had done up to that date, and pick up some strands that were important that had not been followed through by the first developer,” Clark said.

Construction has also been slowed because the Department of the State Architect, which must approve the school’s building plans, has still not reviewed all of them.

Once begun, construction at the site should go relatively quickly because the school will be comprised of modular structures now being built off-site.

The 525 students who would attend Mountainview are instead attending classes in temporary buildings on the campus of Charles Helmers Elementary School in Valencia.

This brings the total student population on the Helmers campus to more than 900, far above the norm at the facility, said Mountainview Principal Kathy Wolfson. Lunchtimes, recesses and the start and end of school days have been staggered to accommodate all the students, she said.

“We’re a little crowded, but because of the schedules we’ve been able to work it out,” Wolfson said.

Several parents of students who are supposed to now be in Mountainview say they have lost confidence the new school will be open on its new target date.

“If they tell me (the school will open in) May, I know it’s going to be May of the following year,” said Rebecca Mills, mother of a 7-year-old student.