For the first time since the 1960s, Belle Haven Elementary School facilities will get a major facelift.

The Almanac visited the TK-5 school at 415 Ivy Drive in Menlo Park recently to tour the campus and get a preview of what's to come with a $50 million construction project to modernize classrooms. Renovation work at the school is the first priority for using funds from the district's $110 bond measure, which passed in June 2022.

The Ravenswood City School District Board of Trustees is still considering if it wants to take a phased approach to construction it did at Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School.

A phased approach would mean longer overall construction period but more of the campus would be available throughout the project. A faster method would involve closing off much of the campus. Finishing sooner would also mean the district could avoid some inflation costs, Chief Business Officer Will Eger told the school board on Jan. 19.

Construction won't start until at least January 2024.

A phased approach would likely run from January 2024 through the summer of 2026, while a whole campus approach would allow for most construction to be completed by summer of 2025, save for work on fields and the blacktop, according to a district staff report.

Board members said they'd like to hear feedback from staff and community before making a decision on the construction timeline.

Changes to come

A larger gym and kitchen facility will replace an eight-classroom building. There will be an outdoor eating space set up near the new cafeteria.

The district is working to install solar panels near portables at the back of campus that are slated for removal. Fencing will come down and new buildings will be used to close off campus instead.

Portables will be removed to make space for a play area.

Classrooms will finally have central air conditioning. Furnaces in the center of classrooms will be removed.

Among the new classrooms will be a new makerspace, new music room and an expanded courtyard space. Two new transitional kindergarten classrooms will be built in place of classrooms currently deemed not safe for students.

Uneven blacktop will be smoothed out and made ADA-compliant. The school's "ocean of asphalt" will be replaced with green space, said project architect Chris Bradley, a senior associate partner with SVA-Architects.

Because of how the school is set up now, with a trash area bordering Chilco Street, neighbors don't see a very pleasant, clean campus, noted Superintendent Gina Sudaria.

More info on the facilities plans

The project draws from the 2015 district facilities master plan.

The district is hosting office hours to discuss the project on Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m. in the Belle Haven Teacher's Lounge. The next one will be held on Feb. 22.

The next community meeting about the project will be held on April 19 at 4 p.m. at the school.

Learn more about the project website.

Watch the Jan. 19 board meeting in which the project timeline is discussed here: