$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.