Ocean View Elementary and Branch Elementary schools in Arroyo Grande are preparing for the new school year with a total of eight new classrooms.
Ocean View just completed six new classrooms, with two of them being purpose-built, meaning they are larger than the standard classroom and include restrooms.
Branch Elementary has two new kindergarten classrooms and one kindergarten playground in progress.
"The great thing about having a larger room is it allows for kids to spread out," explained Andy Stenson, Lucia Mar Unified School District Facilities Director. "It allows for another adult. A small group can peel off into a corner of the room. You don't feel as tight and crowded. Frankly, the kids, when we've had kids encounter new classrooms, the classrooms don't necessarily wow them but the new playground is a big hit for them every time."
Stenson added that new classrooms are being built for kindergarteners because the state has continued to lower the age for transitional kindergarten. With children coming into school at younger ages, school officials feel it is necessary to have embedded restrooms versus having restrooms hundreds of feet away from the classroom.
