Salinas, North Salinas high schools break ground on new buildings

Two Salinas high schools are getting a makeover as part of a district-wide construction plan.

Salinas and North Salinas High Schools broke ground on new two-story steel-frame buildings this week. The plan, which has been in motion since 2022, is set to replace the portable villages at Salinas, North Salinas and Alisal high schools. The Alisal high school groundbreaking hasn’t been scheduled yet but is in motion, according to Salinas Union High School District spokesperson Marcos Cabrera.

“These building initiatives play a pivotal role in meeting the growing needs of our dedicated staff and students, ensuring the delivery of a high-quality education,” said Superintendent Dan Burns in a prepared statement. On May 16, Burns announced he will be stepping down and will stay on as an advisor for the district after a successor is hired.

North Salinas High School broke ground Monday on a two-story steel-frame building that will replace portable classrooms. (Courtesy of Marcos Cabrera, SUHSD).

The construction projects will result in a “big upgrade for morale and environment of the schools to get rid of those portables,” said Cabrera. Many of the rooms that are being replaced have remained the same since their construction in the 1960s.

North Salinas celebrated its groundbreaking on May 20. Burns unveiled the plan for the $32 million building which will include a new Associated Student Body classroom, 13 standard classrooms, four special education classrooms, a sports medicine classroom and a new administrative office. The building will measure just under 27,000 square feet.

The new administration office will “change the whole look of the school site,” said Cabrera. “Having that large building is going to change the look of one of the bigger streets in town. It’s really exciting.”

The funding for the North Salinas building comes mostly from bonds, including Measure B which was passed in 2014 and Proposition 51, a voter-approved state allocation approved in 2016. Prop 51 was designated for construction upgrades. Special reserve funds also contributed to the North Salinas construction.

The project also includes the reconfiguration of the school’s parking lot. New fencing and gates will be built as well as an added covered walkway. The North Salinas site is projected to finish construction in fall 2025.

Salinas High broke ground on its new $32 million two-story building Thursday. This building is also funded by Measure B and Prop 51. Measure W, an approximately $140 million bond approved in 2020, also comes into play.

“Investors saw investing in school facilities as worthwhile. The community saw we were doing good during the pandemic (by) feeding families,” said Cabrera. The passing of Measure W was a result of the help of Salinas Union’s frontline workers during the pandemic, according to Cabrera.

Set to be ready at the end of the calendar year in 2025, Salinas High is getting three new science labs, six science classrooms and 16 standard classrooms. The 42,000 square-foot building will also replace the current administration office, include restrooms for students and staff, add an office workroom for staff and create new janitorial rooms.

Alisal High School hasn’t broken ground on its project yet, but the ceremony is on the horizon, according to Cabrera. The $25.5 million building will be similar to the Salinas High building, and will include 14 standard and eight science-dedicated classrooms.

The focus on science classrooms is necessary, according to Burns. “As our educational programs continue to evolve alongside advancing technology, the demand for additional space on our school campuses becomes increasingly apparent,” he said in a prepared statement.

Alisal is also getting an update to its cafeteria. With more than 3,000 students, Cabrera said it came to the district’s attention that it has gotten increasingly difficult to keep order within the lunch room. Part of the improvements include an express service lane for the food service department and cafeteria staff to get students through quicker and allow more space to feed students.

The district also has plans to build a new performing arts center at Everett Alvarez High School. That project will cost approximately $25 million.