Add as a preferred source on Google

STEAM-Focused Elementary School Kicks Off Whole Site Modernization

  • By Matt Jones
  • 06/17/22

Franklin Elementary STEAM Magnet School, part of the San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, Calif., recently broke ground on a whole site modernization project. The project will see the new construction of a two-story classroom building, as well as renovations and modernization to all classrooms and a wide variety of campus enhancements, according to a news release.

“Franklin has served generations of students in the Kensington and City Heights communities for 93 years and counting,” said Dr. Lamont Jackson, Superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District. “We’re excited to bring Franklin students new facilities and technology that will enhance their educational experience, while creating new memories that will carry onto the next generation.”

According to a news release, the new classroom building will feature amenities like collaborative workspaces, staff lounge and food services kitchen. The student dining area will be expanded to include an outdoor shade canopy. Safety and security improvements are set to include a student services suite; a single, monitored point of entry; a modern public address and intercom system; cameras; fire alarm and intrusion systems; and secure fencing around the entire perimeter. The school will also see renovations to its kindergarten and higher-grade playgrounds, set to include a learning garden with a shade canopy and a landscaped bioretention basin.

“You walk onto our campus and you can see and feel the history,” said Franklin Principal Melissa Roy-Wood. “But you also see aging buildings and a need for expanded play areas. So, we are beyond ecstatic about this makeover.”

The project is being funded through Propositions S and Z, as well as Measure YY, both local bond measures approved by local voters. The district partnered with Safdie Rabines Architects for site design and with C.W. Driver for construction. Construction is scheduled for completion in late 2024.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • UT System Board of Regents Approves $108M Housing Complex

    The University of Texas System Board of Regents recently announced the approval of a new, $108-million housing complex at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), according to a news release. The facility will stand four stories and have a total of 456 new beds for freshmen students.

  • DLR Group Appoints New K–12 Education Practice Leader

    Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it has named its new global K–12 Education leader, Senior Principal Carmen Wyckoff, AIA, LEED AP, according to a news release. Her teams have members in all 36 of the firm’s offices in the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Europe, and Asia.

  • University of Rhode Island, Gilbane Partner for Three New Residence Halls

    The University of Rhode Island in Kingston, R.I., recently announced a public-private partnership with construction development firm Gilbane, according to a news release. Gilbane will soon start construction on three new residence halls with a total of 1,100 beds: two with apartment-style suites in northwest campus, and a reconstruction of the Graduate Village Apartments for graduate students.

  • classroom with crystal ball on top of a desk

    Call for Opinions: Spaces4Learning 2026 Predictions for Educational Facilities

    As 2025 winds to a close, the Spaces4Learning staff is asking its readers—school administrators, architects, engineers, facilities managers, builders, superintendents, designers, vendors, and more—to send us their predictions for educational facilities in 2026.

Digital Edition