California Elementary School Celebrates Halfway Mark for Music Building Construction

  • By Matt Jones
  • 03/12/24

Oak Park Elementary School in San Diego, Calif., recently celebrated the halfway point of construction on a new music building for its campus, according to a news release. District leaders and students gathered on March 7 to watch the school’s music students—the Tempo Tigers—perform in front of the new facility. The music magnet school for students in grades UTK–5 offers specialized instruction in orchestra, chorus, band, keyboard lab, and guitar.

The San Diego Unified Board of Education recently passed a resolution recognizing March as California Arts Education Month. “Music and arts education offer students meaningful opportunities to learn, express themselves, and develop a sense of belonging at school and in life,” said Superintendent Dr. Lamont Jackson. “I am excited about how these new facilities will inspire current and future Oak Park musicians.”

Construction began in summer 2023 and will see the replacement of all portable classrooms with three new facilities: a general-education classroom building, a UTK/kindergarten building, and the music facility, the news release reports. The project also entails a new parking lot with dedicated traffic flow, exterior paint touch-ups, classroom renovations, and new playground equipment and shade shelters, totaling 41,719 square feet of modification, according to the district website.

Funding comes from the San Diego Unified School District’s Capital Bond Improvement program. Construction is scheduled for completion by summer 2025.

“It’s wonderful what we are doing for this school and schools throughout the Crawford cluster,” said Board of Education Trustee Dr. Sharon Whitehurst-Payne.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at mjones@1105media.com.

Featured

  • Oregon Institute of Technology to Construct $35M Mass Timber Residence Hall

    Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls, Ore., recently announced the construction of a new, $35-million mass timber residence hall, according to college news. The facility will stand four stories, have room for 517 students, and cover 86,710 square feet to address the college’s need for more on-campus housing.

  • California High School Debuts $35M Performing Arts Center

    Irvine High School in Irvine, Calif., recently opened its new Performing Arts Center built in partnership with C.W. Driver Companies, according to a news release. The facility cost $35 million and covers about 25,000 square feet.

  • Rush-Henrietta Central School District’s Sperry High School

    A New Perspective: Using Adaptive Reuse Concepts in K-12 Planning

    In the face of increasing pressures on construction timelines, budgets, and material availability, the renovation and reuse of pre-existing structures for new purposes can help bridge the gap between modern school programming and outdated school infrastructure.

  • Kimball International Announces New, Updated Products

    Furnishings manufacturer Kimball International recently announced a series of new and enhanced products for use in education, office, and healthcare spaces, according to a news release.