$70 million upgrade will add classrooms, kitchen to Los Angeles elementary
Construction crews are working on a $70 million project at Ivanhoe Elementary School in Los Angeles that will result in a new two-story building housing 15 permanent classrooms.
The Eastsider reports that when construction is completed in 2026, the new building also will have a new kitchen and serving area and a 10-space parking lot. The additional space will eliminate the need for some of the school's portable buildings, the district says.
Ivanhoe had an enrollment of 435 students in 2023-24. Space is at a premium, and personnel such as speech teachers and school psychologists meet with students in small spaces not designed for such uses, said Principal Lynda Rescia.
The new building will look like a single-story structure from the street. Landscaping will create a buffer between the building and the street. The school’s existing permanent building, which dates to 1941, will remain as it is.
Texas State University breaks ground on STEM classroom building
Texas State University in San Marcos has broken ground on a $137 million STEM classroom building.
The university says the eight-story facility will house the mathematics and computer science departments and will provide teaching space, class labs, departmental offices and research labs for other academic disciplines.
The building will also provide much-needed classroom space. The classrooms will be equipped with modern technology to support interactive learning, and they will have flexible layouts to accommodate various teaching styles and group sizes.
The new classroom space will be supplemented by labs designed for teaching and advanced research as well as additional facilities that will support a range of STEM disciplines for math and computer science.
The architects are PGAL and Ayers Saint Gross.
New facility at Virginia Tech adds classrooms, dining hall
Virginia Tech has opened Hitt Hall, a three-story, 100,000-square-foot building on the northwest edge of the Blacksburg campus.
The university says the facility has been designed to provide an expanded physical presence for the Myers-Lawson School of Construction and add critical dining and academic spaces.
The facility provides innovation and discovery spaces tailored for construction education and research, including a unique two-story Innovation Lab. This lab is designed to support large-scale, student-led projects and foster hands-on learning and collaboration.
In addition to its specialized construction spaces and classrooms, Hitt Hall has flexible general assignment classrooms and open collaboration zones that are accessible to the broader university community.
These spaces are designed to accommodate a variety of teaching and learning styles, enhancing the academic experience for students across disciplines.
“We are excited to see Hitt Hall become the expanded home to our building construction and construction engineering and management programs,” said Julie Ross, the Paul and Dorothea Torgersen Dean of Engineering. “This advanced facility will allow the College of Engineering to partner with industry in the development of new technologies and approaches that have the potential to transform building construction while supporting graduate student research projects and experiential learning.”
Another highlight of of Hitt Hall is Perry Place, a 600-seat, two-story dining facility that introduces nine dining venues that offer a variety of culinary experiences.
Illinois district wants to add space for full-day kindergarten
Voters in Mount Prospect (Illinois) District 57 will decide in November on an $85 million referendum that would provide space for full-day kindergarten and a new Lincoln Middle School.
Journal & Topics reports that the bond funds would enable the district to construct space at the Westbrook School for Young Learners in Mount Prospect to accommodate the district's full-day kindergarten program.
Legislation enacted last year in Illinois requires public school districts to establish full-day kindergarten programs by 2027-28.
The new middle school would cost $77.9 million and would be built west of the existing building. Once the new building is completed, the existing building would be demolished.
