Construction is set to begin this summer at Shell Beach Elementary School in Pismo Beach.
“When most of our schools were constructed back in the fifties and sixties, the population was way smaller than now. So…as it grew, the District didn't have the dollars to go with stick build construction, so they had to go with portables out of necessity. And we're finally in a spot now where we can look to eliminate as many portables as possible," said Andy Stenson, Lucia Mar Unified School District Director of Facilities.
Crews recently completed two new playgrounds on the campus and are now planning to replace six portable classrooms. Two will be kindergarten classrooms, both with student restrooms. The other four classrooms will be standard.
"As the portables get older, you know, it's a raised foundation. You can get critters living underneath the raised foundations. So all that all the new construction is stick-built slab on grade foundation, beautiful buildings that will last easily 60 to 70 years, " says Andy Stenson, Lucia Mar Unified School District Director of Facilities.
Stenson added that all of the improvements thus far are a result of Measure II funding, which passed in 2016.
