The new math and social science building and Media Arts Center are nearing completion, while construction work continues on many smaller projects including several that were implemented over the course of Spring Break.
The new math and social science building will open soon, according to Assistant Principal Jerry Berkson, with only about two weeks left of preparation.
“There’s furniture in the math [and social science] building, so that building is ready to go,” Berkson said. “We could probably do it [open the math and social science building] today … other than phone lines and sewage.”
According to Berkson, the administration wants to get math classes in the new building sooner, so that the old math building is ready to accommodate PE students next year due to the demolition of the old gym building this summer.
Construction on the Media Arts Center will also be finished soon, though not as promptly as construction on the math and social science building.
“Construction is definitely done, it’s just more stuff on the inside,” Berkson said. “I’d say if we really wanted to we could move in within a month.”
While the building could be open in a month, it may not be ready for all the media arts students until next year. Due to its large size, the Advanced Journalism class (which publishes the Campanile newspaper) will have first priority to move in to the new building if construction is completed before summer.
“It’ll be fully functional for next year,” Berkson said.
In addition to the ongoing construction of the two new buildings, several small construction projects and changes took place on campus over spring break. These projects included taking down the fences by the east and north side of the campus, relocating trees in the Embarcadero parking lot and adding new walkways between the English building and Library.
“They’re [the construction workers] going to be making adjustments for their next projects,” Berkson said regarding the fences.
Starting next year, students will also have to take the bike path next to the railroad tracks to get to Town and Country Village because there will be construction at the current Embarcadero Road pedestrian crosswalk.
With the Media Arts Center and math and social science building construction coming to a close, work on the school’s next projects will be able to begin, according to Berkson.
“New gym construction will start over the summer, hopefully,” Berkson said.
Other upcoming construction plans include remodeling the science building to create four additional classrooms and remodeling the library.