AREA SCHOOLS MAKE PLANS FOR STATE GRANT : HI-TECH TOOLS TOP WISH LISTS.

Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Daily News Staff Writer

While his colleagues across the Santa Clarita Valley penciled ``technology'' at the tops of their wish lists Monday, Jon Curwen envisioned a brand new locker room.

If the Legislature approves the governor's proposed $50,000 grants to each of California's public schools, Curwen, principal of Sierra Vista Junior High, would like to spend a chunk of his upgrading the physical education center at the 30-plus-year-old campus.

``It needs a complete gutting,'' Curwen said. ``P.E. is one of the scariest things for kids when they come to junior high. It's loud, it's noisy, they have to undress in front of other kids. It's like boot camp.

``It's been said that the only thing crueler than the Washington press corps is the junior high locker room.''

Principals across the valley talked of priority lists Monday in response to news that Gov. Pete Wilson plans today to proposed a one-time no-strings-attached $50,000 grant directly to public schools.

Computers are on the minds of the staffs at elementary schools.

``I know what I would do,'' said Connie Hall, office manager at the brand-new Mountainview Elementary School in Saugus. ``We'd like to get the latest technology. We're talking just basics right now, but we'd like to add more computers and more software and eventually get hooked on the Internet. That is the future.''

The valley's oldest campus - Newhall Elementary School - is hungry for more technology, too.

``I would use it in a way that would benefit the students the most,'' principal Joyce Wetterau said.

Wetterau said Newhall needs computers and software to integrate into other subjects, to enhance classroom lessons. Technology, she added, isn't limited to computers.

``It's a big umbrella,'' she said. ``Some schools may need laser discs and VCRs and different types of cameras.''

The valley's largest elementary school - Pinetree Community School with 950 children - would like to update its computers and expand its software selection, said Kim Pisapia, an office worker.

``Technology, computers. That seems to be the big thing.'' Pisapia said.

Joe Fazio, superintendent of the Saugus Union School District, said the governor's plan to bypass districts and let the schools decide their needs is in line with his philosophy.

``We've been operating as a site-based school district for 25 years,'' Fazio said. ``We have principals who are well versed at utilizing resources in a site-based decision making kind of framework.

``We have longs lists of leads in our schools. State allotments barely keep pace with the costs of textbooks, technology and other tools for the 21st century.''

Fazio said Saugus schools need money for workbooks, large picture books for teachers to use in the elementary classes.

``Technology tends to be the buzzword, not unlike overhead projectors of the past,'' he said. ``The reality is we need to train teachers in order to maximize the limited resources.''

Valencia High School, nearly 2 years old, had a headstart with computers but still needs basics, principal Paul Priesz said.

``Library books, quake supplies. Those are two real big things on our list,'' Priesz said. ``We'd like to get some shelter from the sun and we'd like to finish some of the grounds work. But $50,000 doesn't go along way on that list. We'd like to touch each item to the degree that we can.

``In certain areas like technology we're ahead of the game, but I think a well stocked library is more important than a computer in every classroom.''

Peter Swavely, principal at Live Oak Elementary School in Castaic, wants to modernize the school library and update the computer lab.

One goal is to put homework assignments on the school's computer home-page. Another is to make pupils comfortable and skilled in word processing.

``Typing is not a secretarial skill, it's a life skill,'' Swavely said. ``If they can use a keyboard, the world is open to them.''