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TUSD projects see progress
eCademy construction
Members of the TUSD Board of Trustees visited four district campuses to see the progress of construction and facility modifications. One of the sites was eCademy, which recently installed new shade panels (Photo contributed).

Osborn kindergarten classrooms, Cunningham multipurpose room and a new Walnut library a few of the current construction projects underway in the Turlock Unified School District.

Members of the Turlock Unified School Board of Trustees received an update last week on current construction and modernization projects at multiple District sites. Board members were also given a tour of the sites to see the progress for themselves and to preview future projects. Sites visited were Osborn Two-Way Immersion Academy, Walnut Elementary, Cunningham Elementary and the eCademy.

Osborn construction
The construction of a new kindergarten facility and parking lot upgrades at Osborn Elementary is entering its final phase (Photo contributed).

At Osborn Elementary, the campus is in its final phase of construction. The project includes a new kindergarten facility, upgrades to the parking lot and other campus renovations. In the final phase, the campus will soon see the opening of a new classroom wing and the removal of the temporary portables. When it comes to the parking lot renovations, a new drop-off zone for school busses will also begin to be implemented. Once the bulk of the final phase is finished, the playfields that were previously blocked off to ensure the safety of campus community members during construction will once again be open and available for students.

Over at the eCademy, Board members had a look at the sites progress on installing perimeter fencing. The eCademy also joins the five TUSD elementary sites that are in the process of constructing shade structures.

During the Board’s visit to Cunningham Elementary, they looked at the site of a new multi-purpose room to serve approximately 850 campus community members at once. The space will include a kitchen, serving area, a stage, bathrooms and storage rooms. Early concepts for the plans also include a relocation for kinder students by 2024, office and other facility upgrades by 2025, and parking lot upgrades and expansion by 2026.

At Walnut Elementary, the Board reviewed plans to build new library. Though there are not many specific details yet on the project, the main plan is to convert the current library into the school’s main office and turn the current office to kinder classrooms.

And though the Board did not visit to Turlock or Pitman high schools, they also reviewed early concepts for renovations at each campus. Renovations to the cafeteria and H Wing of Turlock High is expected to have DSA approval by 2023. Meanwhile at Pitman High, there are early designs to install lights and a scoreboard at the Pride football field and to build a greenhouse on campus. Football field additions would be funded by the Arts, Music, and Instructional Materials Discretionary Block Grant while the greenhouse would be funded by the CTE Incentive Grant. Both Pitman concepts are also expected to get DSA approval next year.

Aside from the Pitman projects, most of the other construction and facility modifications will continue to be funded by Measure N and O, both which were voted on and passed during the 2016 election.