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San Francisco Unified School District to Build New Elementary School

  • By Matt Jones
  • 07/11/22

The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) recently announced that it is partnering with construction company McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. and architecture firm DLR Group to build a new elementary school in the Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco. The San Francisco Board of Education approved plans to build the new school at a special meeting on June 15, according to a news release.

The new Mission Bay School will serve three separate purposes: a PreK–5 elementary school with a capacity of 600 students; a STEM-focused linked learning hub for high-school students; and a professional development space for teachers and staff, according to a news release.

“The Mission Bay area has matured over the past two decades to become a hub of activity, research, community and a dynamic San Francisco neighborhood,” said McCarthy Vice President Jack Carter. “The addition of this vital piece of infrastructure will not only be a cornerstone within Mission Bay but also allows San Francisco Unified School District the opportunity to develop a school from the ground up to provide for today’s and future students.”

The new facility will cover 81,800 square feet in an eastern part of San Francisco called South Block 14. A news release reports that the burgeoning neighborhood contains major infrastructure elements like hospitals, office buildings, public parks and a college campus, but no elementary schools. The primary purpose of the school’s construction is to meet the demands of the area’s population and housing growth.

The first floor will include connections to outdoor play- and nature-based learning spaces for early learners. The second and third floors will have learning studios featuring collaboration spaces and breakout rooms for small-group study. The fourth floor’s learning hub will serve high-school students pursuing careers in industries like bioscience, health and STEM-related fields.

“The new Mission Bay School is a rare opportunity for SFUSD to design a 21st-century school from the ground up,” said Jenny Lam, San Francisco Board of Education President. “It further strengthens our commitment to each and every student in providing high-quality education and ensures they succeed in the future. We are excited to have this new school in a diverse and thriving San Francisco neighborhood where we continue to see housing growth and community development.”

The project comes with an estimated cost of $95 million and is being funded through the Proposition A 2016 Bond program approved by voters. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2023 and finish in 2025.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

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