C.W. Driver Companies has started construction on an estimated $98 million in school renovation projects at La Jolla Elementary School and John Muir Language Academy that will transform the look of the two schools.
The money comes from proceeds of a series of bond issues approved by voters.
“Those are two of many projects funded out of our bond issue,” said Mike McQuary, board of education trustee for the San Diego Unified School District.
“We want to make sure our schools have high curb appeal,” McQuary said, along with the latest technology.
La Jolla Elementary is “a high quality, blue ribbon school” in need of a wide range improvements, McQuary said.
The school traces its history back to 1896, but most of the campus was built in 1962.
Among the more dramatic changes from the renovation will be moving the entrance.
The school fronts on Girard Avenue but the main entrance is on a side street – Marine Street – at the back of the school.
McQuary, whose district includes La Jolla, said that never made sense.
“For years, when I'd go to La Jolla Elementary, I always thought Girard was the entry” McQuary said, and that's where it will be once the renovation is finished in about a year.
The new entrance will be up front on Girard Street with the former administrative offices converted to classrooms.
“We have a clearly defined entry, which will be moved from the side street over to Girard,” McQuary said.
Modernizing
Roughly estimated to cost about $48 million, the renovation of La Jolla Elementary School “is a true whole site modernization,” said Keith Kauffman, project executive with C.W. Driver Companies.
“We're touching every single building campus-wide,” Kauffman said.
New structures will include a two-story administration and classroom building that will include offices, a conference room, staff lounge, a music and drama room, nine classrooms, a maker space and a resource center.
The project also will add a single-story kindergarten building with two classrooms and a separate single-story kindergarten building with one classroom and a single-story restroom building at the upper field/play area.
All of the existing buildings will be remodeled with upgraded security, communication systems, and they'll have air conditioning.
“People used to think that our coastal schools didn't need air conditioning,” McQuary said. “That's one thing that was absolutely needed in all of our schools.”
The renovation also will include construction of an onsite drop-off area and a larger parking lot.
With construction already started, the project is due for completion in 2024.
John Muir Language Academy
As with La Jolla Elementary, John Muir Language Academy is getting a whole new look with the renovation roughly estimated to cost $54 million.
“It's not as big as La Jolla, it doesn't have as many buildings as La Jolla,” Kauffman said, but the project is just as extensive.
“We're demolishing some structures, most of them temporary,” Kauffman said.
Formerly John Muir School, John Muir Academy at 4431 Mount Hebert Ave. is a district magnet school focusing on Spanish language immersion.
New additions in their place will include an administration building with conference rooms and a staff lounge, 2,000 square feet of new kitchen space with an outdoor lunch shelter, a single-story locker room building, a two-story classroom building with folding glass garage-style doors that look out into a large collaboration area, and a single-story sports pavilion with a covered basketball court.
The project also includes reconfiguration of the existing parking and drop-off areas and the addition of a new staff parking lot with additional on-site drop-off. Construction is expected to be finished in 2023. Baker Nowicki Design Studio is the architect on the John Muir Academy renovation.
Other projects that the San Diego Unified School District has planned with C.W. Driver Companies include the $33 million renovation of Franklin Elementary School and the $19 million renovation of Darnall Charter School.
District-wide, McQuary said 139 school renovation projects have been completed, 34 are under construction and 83 are in design stages.
“We want to offer high quality teaching and learning environments,” McQuary said.