Students at Santa Maria High School will be greeted with on-campus construction when they return to class next week.
Work is currently underway on an 88,774 square foot building that will replace some older buildings from the 1930s.
The new three-story building will include administration offices as well as 50 classrooms, including science labs and culinary arts classrooms.
Unlike the older buildings, the new construction will include air conditioning in every classroom.
"You take away those heat problems and those things and give the kids the tools and the teachers the tools, they can do amazing things," said Gary Wuitschick, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Director of Support Services.
The construction will displace 26 classrooms at the beginning of the school year, but school officials say they've made accommodations elsewhere on campus for those classes.
The $35 million project is expected to be completed by 2022.
