The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Board of Education and district officials broke ground Tuesday on a new building at Santa Maria High School that officials say will nearly eliminate all portable classrooms on campus.
Work on the three-story, 88,774 square-foot administration building is projected to be completed in April of 2023. It will include 44 classrooms, five science labs and a culinary arts classroom along with visitor parking and a bell tower.
School Board President Dr. Jack Garvin calls the projects a “game changer for our students and community.”
The district says the new building will face Morrison Avenue and help ease congestion along Camino Colegio.
“The structure's architectural design will complement the older buildings and incorporate energy-savings measures such as LED lighting and modern climate control systems,” according to a press release.
The $59.5 million project is being funded through 2016’s Measure H.