California School Districts Weigh Renovation Versus

Developers and school districts face a tough choice between renovating old school buildings or tearing them down. The debate centers on balancing operational improvements and cost against preserving historic character.

The Case for Demolition

Eric Holm, director of facilities construction for Palo Alto Unified School District, said his district now leans toward tearing down buildings over 50 years old. He spoke at a Bisnow summit in San Francisco on August 5. Holm described a recent renovation where a building was stripped to its core, requiring temporary roof supports and reinforced columns, only for the roof to remain. "The building was literally Swiss cheese," Holm said. "When we got done, we asked our architect, ‘Why did we do this?’"

Nathan Herrero, a principal at SVA Architects, said outdated low-slung masonry buildings are prime candidates for razing. He advised a pragmatic approach. "But if you have got a masonry building, just knock it down and move on," Herrero said. "Don't throw away something that's great, but if it's marginal and you are going to rip everything down to change the use completely, rip off the bandage and go for replacement."

Enrollment Declines Drive Decisions

Demographic shifts are a major factor. Enrollment is often stagnant in dense urban cores but exploding in suburbs. Matt Juchniewicz, director of facilities design and construction at Sacramento City Unified School District, said his district has capacity for 57,000 students but an enrollment of just 36,000. From a cost perspective, modernization may not make sense if enrollment falls further. "Looking at these projects on a per-square-foot basis, why would we modernize for students that might not even be there?" he said. With school consolidation likely, older buildings may be scrapped for new schools that draw from larger areas.

Repurposing Space for Community

Modern design focuses on using square footage throughout the day, opening facilities to the community. Redwood City School District worked with DLR Group to design family centers at eight schools, transforming unused space into community hubs offering food, clothing, workshops, and immigration guidance. The project was funded by the 2022 Measure S bond. Salinas City Elementary School District is creating community centers at nine schools, partly by weighing the cost of converting multipurpose rooms versus building a new central kitchen, said Amna Javed, the district's director of bond projects.

Surplus Land Becomes Housing

Some districts are converting surplus real estate into workforce housing. Jefferson Unified School District created 122 teacher housing units in Serramonte in 2022. Pacifica School District has 70 units underway after razing the closed Oddstad Elementary School. Calistoga Joint Unified School District is building 130 units of subsidized teacher housing in Napa County. Lev Weisbach of Rivercrest Partners said this addresses teacher commutes and high turnover. "There's a win-win if you can take surplus land and figure out a way to turn it into a positive rather than a negative," Weisbach said.