Since its earliest days in 1972, the Irvine Unified School District has continually grown to keep pace with development in Irvine.
In the last decade alone, enrollment has increased by nearly 9,000 students to more than 36,000. To support the needs of our growing community, IUSD has opened 10 schools, including a comprehensive high school and two virtual academies since 2013, bringing the total to 43 schools. The 44th school, Solis Park, will open this August.
Fully aware of the opportunities and challenges created by such rapid growth, the Board of Education has centered the District’s planning efforts around educational equity and excellence – bringing all IUSD schools up to a similar standard. They are committed to ensuring IUSD students receive the best education, no matter what school they attend.
In 2016, Irvine voters passed Measure E, a $319 million school facilities improvement bond that allows IUSD to upgrade its older schools. Since then, the IUSD Facilities and Construction team has completed or begun construction on the 28 schools slated for the improvements.
All Measure E projects are expected to be completed by 2030.
Equity for All Students
Improvements include new modernized classrooms, science and innovation labs, high school theaters and music rooms, and athletic tracks and fields. There are also upgrades to accessibility, safety and security.
So far, the District has begun or completed more than $275 million in Measure E projects.
“The District staff has been very intentional in ensuring that these dollars benefit students promptly,” said John Fogarty, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services and Chief Financial Officer. “We want to bring older schools up as much as we can to the level of new schools so we can have equity for all of our students in the District.”
In addition to the Measure E funding, the IUSD Board of Education has allotted $66 million to efficiently advance construction projects. IUSD has also received $38 million in state matching grants for modernization at schools older than 25 years.
Through diligent planning and leveraging of these funds, the District has brought Measure E projects forward by nearly a decade.
“From a financial aspect, in six short years, our Facilities and Construction team has built the equivalent of one new elementary school per year,” said Kelvin Okino, Executive Director of Facilities, Planning and Construction. “I have managed educational capital improvement projects for over 25 years, and Measure E is one of the most efficient, well-coordinated and successful programs I have been involved with. Our team has been committed to delivering the best educational facilities for our students, parents, staff and communities.”
Benefiting Students
“Measure E projects are not about beautification, although that is certainly a benefit,” Okino added. “These projects are about supporting teaching and learning for our students at the highest levels. They are about providing teachers with options and features to support innovation.”
For example, innovation labs are modeled after Silicon Valley tech offices to inspire creativity and collaboration. New sliding and folding doors allow teachers to use hallways as an extension of their classrooms.
Recently completed projects for the 2021-22 school year include Bonita Canyon, Canyon View, Deerfield, Northwood, Oak Creek, Turtle Rock and University Park elementary schools. South Lake Middle School and Plaza Vista K-8 School also received Measure E improvements.
The largest high school project has been the new performing arts center at Woodbridge High. The new theater has a capacity of 650 seats, a lobby, a ticketing booth, a scene shop, dressing rooms, a conference room/green room and the ability to create a black box for small intimate performances. Students get to work on the same digital equipment as industry professionals.
“It’s breathtaking, pretty incredible,” Woodbridge High Principal Christopher Krebs says. “It’s probably worthy of a city center in a small city. Few students in the country have access to this quality of facility on their school site.”
Citizens Oversight Committee
The District devised and implemented Measure E plans after hosting more than 200 meetings with principals, teachers, staff, students and families.
The Citizens Oversight Committee, made up of volunteer residents, monitors Measure E projects to ensure the bond revenues are spent properly. All the money must go toward improving facilities and cannot be used for other purposes such as teacher salaries.
For information about Measure E funding, visit iusd.org/MeasureE. Click here for the District’s annual Measure E-newsletter.
You can also view a timeline of District schools and facilities by visiting our 50th Anniversary webpage in the timeline section.