From vast ankle-deep puddles to roped-off sections of the school, Cupertino High School has faced several issues with rain and water infrastructure over the years. Finding solutions to these problems would help students navigate CHS better during the rainy season. Oftentimes, students must step through puddles or use an umbrella to navigate between buildings. Several covered walkways exist, but many do not connect between certain areas on campus that students use to get to class. Overall, improving the water infrastructure at CHS so that students can move between classes without getting wet remains a prevalent topic throughout the winter and spring seasons. However, construction would also pose concerns regarding financial costs and disruption to the school environment.
Within CHS, several areas do not have walkways with roofs to block the rain for students passing through. Some examples include the gaps between the cafeteria area and the rest of the building, the staircase to the library requiring students to cross a large distance uncovered, and the 500s and 6000-7000 building areas. These uncovered sections of the school force students to either use umbrellas or walk through a downpour of rain to reach their classes or get food.
Besides the uncovered areas, several parts of the school campus are prone to flooding. One of these areas is the asphalt walkway next to the weight room, which floods with water due to open pipes. A major place where puddles form is the side gate near the corner of the track, which often has ankle-deep pools of water that are difficult to cross without getting wet.
Additionally, the structure of the buildings often makes the hallways leak water when it rains. This creates potential safety hazards due to the possibility of slipping, as well as crowds forming under the narrow roof in an attempt to not get soaked. Moreover, heavy rain can cause some areas of campus, such as the stage and the quad, to get sectioned off with caution tape, making them inaccessible to students. These areas are even harder to access for those with disabilities, due to the lack of waterproof architecture becoming a potential safety hazard for students and staff alike.
On the contrary, CHS is located in California, meaning its architecture was built with its mild climate in mind. Reconstruction of the buildings we have now potentially poses more problems than solutions. For instance, the construction could take a fair amount of time, since the coverage of multiple buildings may take more than a single summer, making certain places and paths off-limits to students. The noise that comes with the construction of new roofs and buildings would make it difficult to foster a quiet and concentrated learning environment, and would be a huge investment by our school district, potentially costing a large sum of money.
