Three Campbell Union high schools to get new classrooms
In anticipation of growing student populations in a few years, the Campbell Union High School District board of trustees on Oct. 5 approved a $1,469,974 contract with Sugimura Finney Architects that will eventually lead to the construction of two- story classroom buildings at Branham, Leigh and Prospect high schools.
According to Nancy Torres Pfeiffer, assistant superintendent of business services, the three campuses are small, which is why the district believes it’s necessary to “build up” to accommodate more students in the future.
“By ( building) up we can increase the number of classrooms to accommodate growth, and it allows for more green space,” she said.
BranhamHigh will get four two- story buildings, while Leigh and Prospect will each get one.
Of the four buildings planned for Branham, three will have a dozen classrooms each and one will have eight.
“We’re expecting to grow beyond capacity within the next six years, which is why we can’t wait until we get to that point to accommodate students,” Torres Pfeiffer said, adding that some teachers at Branham share classrooms with other teachers during prep periods.
“We have teachers using every inch of this campus,” she added.
Leigh’s building will have 14 classrooms and Prospect’s will have 10. Torres Pfeiffer said the life expectancy of the new concrete and metal buildings is estimated at 100 years, whereas traditional classroom buildings typically last 30 to 40 years.
The projects also call for pedestrian bridges that will connect the buildings, allowing students to walk from one second-floor class to another in a different building.
Demolition of the math and science buildings at Branham will begin next month. Interim classrooms have been set up for students and teachers, and Torres Pfeiffer said the mathematics and science wings have already been blocked off for student circulation in anticipation of construction.
She added that a construction timeline has not been finalized for Leigh and Prospect yet, but the district’s goal is to complete the buildings at the three sites within 2½ to three years.
Construction at Branham is expected to wrap up roughly two years after demolition begins.
The contract with Sugimura Finney Architects is for the pre- design, design development and construction administration for all three projects.
The total cost for the projects, including soft costs such as architectural, design and construction fees, is $ 74,331,027, according to Torres Pfeiffer.
Funds for the project come from Measure AA, a bond approved by district voters last November. Funds are strictly for facility improvements to the district’s five high school sites and two alternative programs.