AT HOME, AT LAST DISTRICT OPENS THREE BRAND NEW SCHOOLS.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

PALMDALE - Three new schools opened in the Palmdale School District on Tuesday, the first day of school in the 2005-06 school year for the district's 22,500 students.

Barrel Springs, Los Amigos and Palmdale Learning Plaza schools opened their doors without any problems, although there was still some work that needed to be done at the campuses, such as landscaping and fence work.

``We are scrambling and frantic and having a wonderful time because it's such a beautiful school,'' Palmdale Learning Plaza Principal Todd Cherland said. ``We've been an orphan in this district for 14 years. We've been in portables on four different campuses. To have this beautiful facility, my parents and staff are just ecstatic.''

Cherland said his school, with an enrollment of about 950 students, was ``operational.''

``There are still lots of little things that need doing, but we will work around it and continue to function,'' Cherland said.

Not yet ready was the school's playground, where the grass has been planted but won't be ready for play until spring. In addition, teachers had no computers set up on their desks.

At Barrel Springs, which district officials had considered opening late because work was behind schedule, classes started without any major hitches with about 900 students.

``As far as I know, everything was fine,'' Deputy Superintendent Lori Ordway-Peck said. ``They are finishing up fence work and planting at Barrel Springs.''

Barrel Springs' cafeteria was completed but will probably take one or two days to become fully operational. ``They will bring in food for the first day or two,'' Ordway-Peck said.

Superintendent Jack Gyves said he visited Oak Tree Learning Center, Mesquite and Yucca schools and reported no problems. Mesquite school officials told him they registered 80 new students last week.

``I was at three of them myself,'' Gyves said. ``My first impressions were that the openings were very smooth. As usual, we have kids who appear on the first day who haven't registered. I'm curious to see whether we get any kids from Mississippi and Louisiana. We've heard rumors of relatives in the area.''

Barrel Springs moved to its new campus at 37th Street East and Pearblossom Highway from its former campus on 25th Street East south of Pearblossom Highway.

The 25th Street East campus became home to Desert Willow Intermediate, which had been sharing a temporary campus with Los Amigos School at 40th Street East and Avenue S.

The 25th Street East campus was designed as a K-8 school and has a gymnasium and other facilities to serve the intermediate school, district officials said.

Palmdale Learning Plaza is near the Antelope Valley Freeway and Avenue R, and the new Los Amigos School is at 66th Street East and Avenue R-8.

Karen Maeshiro, [phone]

karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Kindergarten teacher Kelly Stuen works with her new class on the very first day of school at Palmdale Learning Plaza.

(2 -- color) Lenna Johnson escorts her kindergarten class to lunch at Palmdale Learning Plaza.

(3) Kids enjoy their lunch at Palmdale Learning Plaza, one of three schools that opened for the first time on Tuesday in Palmdale.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer