After two years in portable classrooms, students have returned from winter break to a new Belle Haven Elementary School in Menlo Park, California.
The Almanac reports that the Ravenswood City School District hosted a grand reopening ceremony this week to celebrate the completion of the $60 million campus renovation.
“‘Portable City’ is no longer,” Principal Michelle Masuda said.
The school community said goodbye to the old cafeteria in February 2024. By that time, most of the original classrooms had been demolished and students had moved into temporary learning spaces.
Belle Haven is the district’s first campus to receive a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification, said Assistant Superintendent Will Eger.
“This school is 100% electric, 100% renewably powered by the solar panels on site,” said Eger.
The district was also able to reduce water usage on campus by millions of gallons by installing turf across school grounds, he added.
Every classroom has new walls, lights, roofing, sound insulation, ventilation systems and speakers. After years of sharing space with the city’s Belle Haven branch library, the school now has its own dedicated library space.
Construction continues on the school’s new gym and field. Eger said district officials hope the final portion of the project will be completed by fall 2026.
The renovation was funded by a $110 million bond passed in 2022 to renovate three elementary schools.
