It has been just over two months since BVH students and staff hosted the breaking ground ceremony on Dec. 20 for the reconstruction of the 1200s building, the adjacent area and the quad. The whole project is on track to be completed by summer of 2026; meanwhile, the Career Technical Education (CTE) building is in the process of being constructed. Assistant Principal Tyler Arciaga and Athletic Director Christina Ada, are the BVH administrators in charge of overseeing any complications by sitting in weekly meetings with the construction team and SUHSD personnel.
“We take a three week look ahead to see where we are in construction. ‘What can we expect? Are there any problems coming up? Any adjustments or changes we have to make?’ When we had Welcome To The Kingdom, they held off on some of the louder work because we were going to be in the gym,” Ada said. “We are going to coordinate the times that they are taking down the trees in front of the gym for safety reasons. [Also] so that it does not impact the flow of traffic in the morning.”
Working together and communicating with Cordoba Corporation and Conan Construction, the companies contracted to build the new facilities, allows the progression of construction to be as efficient as possible while. This is all while the 2024-2025 school year remains in session. Construction commonly leads to unpredictable circumstances, yet Arciaga and Ada strive to create regularity within school hours.
“Any time there is construction, there is always going to be some things that come up, you can not foresee everything. [There have been] minor things here or there, but nothing outside of the norm,” Arciaga said. “We have had to shut off the water, and we might have to do that again. The [construction crew] tries to do it at times that do not affect us, like after Saturday school.”
Arciaga expresses no concern in regards to the construction schedule and timeline. The demolition of the 1200s building happened fairly quickly over winter break and the workers have now moved onto grading and piping. Ada reciprocates this by explaining the next steps for construction that students and staff might begin to notice on campus.
“Starting at the end of July, the fencing will move. We are going to have some lunch carts down the main hallway so we can still provide seating if people want to eat outside. However, we are going to lose the entire quad starting in July of 2026,” Ada said. “Under all of the overhangs where there is actual sidewalk, students will still be able to walk. It is just the asphalt that will be inside the fencing of the construction.”
Redirecting lunch to the main hallway and relocating tables in the halls for students is necessary in the long term. While it may cause more commotion in proximity of classrooms, the outcome is beneficial in the foreseeable future. Arciaga elaborates on what this will look like during lunch time.
“They are going to redo the quad. Most of this quad is not going to be available for the start of next year. We are going to have lunch lines in between buildings and are working with the cafeteria, food services and nutrition services to make sure that we are able to set up and have enough booths. So, we are foreseeing those types of issues,” Arciaga said.
BVH Principal Lee Romero explains that when the construction in the quad commences, reestablishing lunch areas will “be a mess” nonetheless it is only temporary for a few months and does not go into effect until next school year. As for now, the end of the 2024-25 school year nears closer and so does the progression of the construction. Now that privacy fences have been set up alongside the stadium spanning to the gym, Arciaga wants to ensure that students and parents keep safety as their top priority.
“The biggest thing [for parents and students to know] is just to [remember], it is a live construction zone. So, just make sure that we respect the fences because there are safety issues if you go on to the other side of it,” Arciaga said.
As far as what is included in the new facilities, the CTE building consists of the following programs: Dance, Autoshop, Engineering, Photography, Sports Medicine and BVTV broadcast. Each program will have their own customized room, additional equipment appropriate to their field and what they specialize in. Adjacent to the building, new beach volleyball courts will also become available for the girls’ volleyball program. Romero wishes construction “would have been earlier” so the new facilities “could open and start this school year.” However, he remains excited for the future of the school and students as it will strengthen and grow various programs on campus.
“I’m excited about all [of] the classes. Dance is finally going to have a real dance room with a nice floor, a place to put their costumes. BVTV, they do some incredible stuff and their program is just going to expand and be ridiculously good because they will have a whole wall green screen that’s going to be moving. What I think a lot of people do not understand is that Sports Medicine is going to be a clinic located right by the stadium,” Romero said. “They are getting their own cart that has a bed and can cart them off [the field], if a kid got hurt [and take them] to the clinic. We will have the ability to bring an ambulance right up there in case they need that. Safety and convenience wise, it’s going to be such a neat program.”
Ada and Arciaga both reiterate Romero’s feelings towards the new buildings and equipment. They express gratitude for participating in the new renovation since it will become available for future generations. Lastly, Ada appreciates the efficiency of the companies once the plans for the project commenced.
“It has been really exciting to watch the changes and [see] the building come down. I am really excited for the opportunities our students are going to have with this new construction and these new buildings. The district has been amazing. The construction companies have been amazing. I think we are going to be done hopefully even a little early,” Ada said.
