Several schools in the West Contra Costa Unified School District got a facelift over the summer, while other campuses are in the midst of getting total makeovers.
On Thursday, demolition began at one of the district’s oldest campuses, Stege Elementary, which will be rebuilt within a year and is expected to reopen by fall 2027.
In July, Kennedy High School’s 100/200 building was demolished to make way for a new facility as part of a modernization project that will continue into the school year.
Richmond High School will also get new classrooms when its modernization project kicks off in the spring of 2026.
The district also inspected its campuses over the summer and completed a number of renovations at other schools.
Stege Elementary pupils now have a playground at middle school
Bulldozers are tearing down Stege Elementary, an 82-year-old campus that was abruptly shut down before the 2024 school year after the district said it found hazardous materials during some renovation work.
A lawsuit filed against the district related to conditions at the school said there were numerous health and safety hazards, including asbestos, lead, and dry rot.
Parents for years had reported numerous age-related maintenance issues, such as plumbing malfunctions that left students with sewage on their clothing and inoperable windows and drinking fountains.
While Stege is getting its $61 million rebuild, students next week will start their second year attending classes at DeJean Middle School, where they were relocated to.
Stege alumnus Melissa Jackson said she is grateful the district finally started paying attention to Stege and said communication has improved greatly since last year’s unexpected shutdown.
“I rise with some (level) of excitement, because we have journeyed this rebuild project from nothing to something,” Jackson said. “We’re doing this together because people are passing by Stege (and keeping each other updated on changes), giving us phone calls, keeping us updated. And when we have those hiccups, we straighten it out.”
The district has held regular construction progress meetings with parents, neighbors, and other stakeholders. Just last month, the group voted on the new color palette for Stege — a sky blue and bright yellow. The next community update meeting is set for Tue., Sept. 16, at 6:30 p.m. at Booker T. Anderson Community Center.
Jackson said she is also excited about the improvements made for Stege students attending classes at the middle school. The district added more restrooms for younger students, put tables outside of their portable classrooms and installed turf where students line up to take buses back home.
“As we use the space, we’re really listening and learning, hearing what families are saying and identifying ways we can improve, said Melissa Payne, WCCUSD Director of Contracts Administration. She noted that parents had raised concerns about students getting dirty while waiting for the bus.
“This is going to serve as a gathering space, an outdoor learning space, a space where they can eat. The leadership has incredible ideas on how they can use the space for PE and other activities,” Payne continued. “We can’t wait to welcome the stars back and show them that we were able to complete our promise and deliver the things that we talked about just a year ago.”
Unused playground equipment from Invictus, a charter school in El Cerrito, was also moved to DeJean for the Stege students.
Kennedy High School to get ‘cafeterium’ — a combo eating spot/auditorium
Kennedy High School has long been a district renovation priority. The school is more than 50 years old and the modernization will cost $280 million. Despite the scale of construction, the campus will remain open.
The project will be divided into three main phases. The first phase, which began in July, was the demolition of the 100/200 building along Cutting Boulevard, which housed Kennedy’s academic program. In its place will rise a two-story classroom and office building. The 500 building is being transformed into a “cafeterium” — a combination cafeteria and performance space.
Returning students will attend classes in portables along Berk Avenue.
The 100/200 building is being completely rebuilt because it wasn’t considered earthquake safe and repairs would have been costly and disruptive. There also weren’t windows, and the office was poorly located, making the campus less secure.
Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia, whose father taught at Kennedy when the school opened in 1967, was there when demolition began and shared updates on his Facebook page. The district gave him the “218” room number sign of his dad’s classroom, where he taught for 20 years before he passed away.
“In a way the demolition of the main building, to me, has mixed feelings,” Gioia told Richmondside. “Both the sadness from the end of an era, but also hope for a new and stronger future for the school.”
A new gym and physical education facility will also be built, but the timeline is not clear yet.
Richmond High School is prepped for $280 million overhaul
Richmond High, a 56-year-old campus, is being prepped for its approximately $280 million modernization project, which will be executed in phases.
In its quarterly facilities update, district officials said students returning to school next week can expect a new welcome center, changes to parking and access as well as construction fencing.
First, new classrooms will be built. Then the main building, gym and outdoor facilities will be updated. Finally, the mall and 300 wing will be demolished and replaced by a two-story building and administration center. A timeline for this last phase is unclear, as designs are under review.
New trees and smaller updates at elementary schools
The district also used grant funding for enhancements at several elementary schools:
- New trees were planted at Riverside, Montalvin, and Nystrom.
- Chavez got a new front entry gate and an AI-enabled phone system, so staff can see who is at the entrance.
- Washington’s roof was fixed, and new window shades were installed in classrooms.
- Bathrooms at four schools, including Harding and Tara Hills, were renovated.
“We have replaced flooring in a number of our restrooms, which will not only make the spaces cleaner, but it will improve the operations with our custodial staff,” Payne said. “The pilot went really well, and so I expect to see this at a number of additional sites.”
At Grant and Collins elementary schools, classrooms were repainted and the blacktops were repaved and repainted, so kids can play foursquare hopscotch and other games.
“It shows what a little bit of paint can do,” Payne said. “It can really open up the spaces, make them more vibrant.”
The gym floors at Pinole and Hercules middle schools are like new after being sanded and refinished. Hercules Middle School has new classroom floors in portables and new gym equipment, along with other minor improvements.
See our guide to WCCUSD schools to learn more about how the district is run.
