Seven teachers at Point Loma High School (PLHS) are receiving perhaps the greatest gift of their careers next month — new classrooms. The teachers, who are members of the school’s history/social sciences department, have been working in outdated portable classrooms for several years. The new building, being located at the southwest corner of the campus, is due to open with the beginning of the second semester in February, according to PLHS officials. The opening of this structure will trigger the beginning of two new building projects on campus. These include the conversion of a former wood shop to music studios and the construction of a motion picture/video production lab — both planned as state-of-the-art facilities for students. Visible from the intersection of Chatsworth Boulevard and Voltaire Street, the new building is a two-story, eight-classroom facility built with Proposition S funds. Boasting more than 15,300 square feet, the structure comes with a price tag of more than $3.9 million, according to the San Diego Unified School District’s website. The eighth classroom will house a unique program offered to PLHS students who wish to explore careers in sports medicine and athletic training. Classes will be led by students from Point Loma Nazarene University as part of a partnership between the schools. Each new classroom will provide a full complement of technological components, including an interactive whiteboard, audio/visual cabinet, teacher presentation station, wireless voice amplification system, an advanced model document camera and DVD player. Other features of the new building include restrooms for students and staff, an elevator, a bridge to the school’s athletic field and a reconstructed ramp to the main gym. Among other Prop. S projects in the works: • The school’s long-awaited weight room appears to be nearing start of construction. After receiving a significant grant from the Jimmy Johnson (NASCAR driver) Foundation, the project has been stalled by architectural issues and conflicts. • A project to improve athletic fields at Correia Middle School to add critical practice and game space for PLHS athletes is moving ahead. New school board member Scott Barnett, representing the Point Loma area, has expressed enthusiasm for the plan, according to PLHS Athletic Director John Murphy.  • Construction of a new restroom-/ticket booth/concession facility at the stadium entrance on Voltaire Street is scheduled to begin in January 2012. The former restroom structure on the site was condemned and demolished, leaving the school with a bank of portable bathrooms ever since. • Additional construction projects at the school include replacement and upgrades of electrical and plumbing systems. PLHS opened in 1925 on a campus spread over 13 acres. Current state guidelines suggest 52 acres for a school of Point Loma’s current enrollment.