Dear Brentwood Families,
While much of our attention has been on the health and safety of our community, we have also been working diligently to plan for Prop E construction to begin later this year. As a review, here is some history related to Prop E:
- Since 2016, Brentwood has been working with the community to identify facilities needs and priorities.
- In June 2020, voters approved Prop E, which provides funding to completely rebuild McGrath Elementary with space to house Brentwood Early Childhood Center and to renovate Mark Twain.
- In July 2020, the district formed a new Elementary Facilities Committee composed of parents, staff, and community members to collaborate and provide feedback on the designs for the elementary and early childhood facilities. This group met regularly throughout the school year.
The Elementary Facilities Committee, along with the architect team of HTK, is advising a phased approach to the Prop E projects in order to maximize safety and efficiency throughout the process. This approach is supported by the district’s own experiences in major construction projects at the middle/high school.
Here is what the phased timeline looks like:
Phase 1: McGrath/BECC
- Early Sitework Package Bidding: April/May 2021
- Project Bidding: May/June 2021
- Construction Completed: December 2022
- Fall 2023 – McGrath students attend school in new building; Mark Twain students begin their year at the old McGrath building
Phase 2: Mark Twain Elementary
- Design Hold: June-September 2021
- Concept Design: October-December 2021
- Complete Design: March 2022
- Fall 2023: Mark Twain students begin their year at the old McGrath building
- Construction Completed: June 2024
Construction for the new McGrath Elementary will take place next to the existing structure. Not only will this help maximize the use of the site, it will allow McGrath students to continue learning safely away from construction as it takes place nearby.
Once construction is completed for the new McGrath Elementary, Mark Twain students will spend the 2023-2024 school year attending school at the old McGrath site. This has numerous benefits for the students and the community, including:
- Safety: Students and staff will not have to inhabit a live construction site while the renovations take place. While every precaution is taken when construction happens, it is much easier when students are completely removed from the areas construction is taking place.
- Learning: Students learn best when they are in an environment free from distractions. By allowing the Mark Twain students to occupy the current McGrath building, we are able to maintain small class sizes while making the necessary upgrades to Mark Twain.
- Efficiency: In allowing the construction team full access to the Mark Twain building, we can help ensure the project moves forward in a timely manner. Additionally, without having to creatively schedule around student learning, the district will be able to do more renovation of the Mark Twain site at the same cost as it would if students were occupying the building during construction.
To learn more, please follow the link below to watch a brief presentation on the history of Prop E and the next steps for our community. In addition, we are planning numerous engagement events throughout March, April, and May to gather feedback from the community and share information and news about the project. Please continue to check your email and visit our website, www.brentwoodmoschools.org, to stay updated on these and other events.
Facilities Updates 