Welcome back! You’ll notice some big changes taking place on several DJUSD campuses. Construction activities are in progress at Birch Lane, César Chávez, Da Vinci High School, North Davis and Willett Elementary, while the new science classrooms at Emerson/Da Vinci Junior High School and the new Early Learning Center at Korematsu Elementary have been completed. Stay in touch with your home school for any changes underway that may alter your pick up/drop off locations or bike parking venues. We appreciate your patience as we collectively navigate through these exciting construction projects.

We are excited to welcome you safely back to campus as we start the 2021-22 school year!

Any large construction project is certain to impact adjacent residents. DJUSD wants to be a good neighbor and we are doing everything reasonably possible to reduce traffic, noise and dust. Ongoing mitigation measures include traffic control plans, adherence to the the City of Davis construction work hour ordinance, frequent water of construction areas to reduce dust, close coordination with the City and the Davis Police Department and thorough communication plans with school sites and adjacent neighbors. Thank you for your continued support and patience as we navigate through these changes together.

Summer construction activities concluded on August 24, in advance of the first day of school. These activities included campus wide upgrades to ADA path of travel, parking lot accessibility improvements and upgrades to existing and new utility distribution. Now that school is in session, construction activities are limited to the immediate vicinity of the new multipurpose room sites. For more information, including project completion dates, please visit our Elementary MPR Bond website.

This Bond project broke ground in May, 2020. Summer construction activities included the demolition of three existing portable classrooms, site work related to utilities and the construction of a building pad for the new Tech Hub. With construction in full swing at Da Vinci High School (DVHS), there are some important developments for students, families and staff to be aware of when they return to campus.

• The DVHS Administration and Counseling Offices have been relocated to the front of the campus in the former DJUSD Preschool Offices.

• Parents and visitors should now park and enter campus using the main entrance on E 8th Street.

• Students that drive to campus should park on nearby surface streets or in the parking lot located behind Symposium Restaurant on M Street and then walk to campus and enter through the passageway at the Da Vinci High School sign.

• No student parking is available on campus during the 2021-22 school year.

• Students that bike to school will enter at the designated location at the front of the school immediately next to the entrance to the staff parking lot. This entrance will be separated by safety fencing.

• Bike racks will now be located immediately behind the new DVHS Administration building.

• The rear entrance to campus from Colgate Drive will be closed due to construction.

Learn more about this Bond Project on our website.

DJUSD will soon be celebrating the opening of the new Early Learning Center (ELC) preschool campus at Korematsu Elementary. The ribbon cutting will commemorate seven new classrooms, a playground, an expanded parking lot and the student drop-off/pick-up area that is available to all students campus-wide.

Another ribbon cutting is being scheduled to celebrate the expansion of the Emerson and Da Vinci Junior High campus. Each of the four new science classrooms are consistent with the Next Generation Science Standards and feature eight dedicated 21st Century lab stations, as well as flexible furniture to support lecture and small group instruction. Check out progress pictures and project information on our website.

Bond Projects for the Davis Senior High School (DSHS) include the impending construction of the Aquatic Center, STEM Building and the enhancement of the Career Technical Education programs housed at DSHS. All projects have completed thorough stakeholder engagement throughout the programming phase and have now progressed to the design phase. The next round of community outreach can be expected Fall 2021. Follow the succession of these projects on our website.

Building upon prior planning and outreach efforts, the City of Davis and DJUSD partnered on a Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) Regional Funding grant for a project focusing on safety and design improvements for the segment of Anderson Road fronting Chavez Elementary school (approximately Amherst Drive to Villanova Dr). In March 2021, SACOG announced that our grant proposal received the full funding amount of $3.09 million. You can find out more about this exciting project here https://www.cityofdavis.org/city-hall/improvement-projects/anderson-road-improvements.

The installation of hydration stations was one of the first district-wide Bond Projects and began construction in 2019. This is a student-initiated project that allows students and staff to contribute to a sustainable environment by filling reusable water bottles throughout the day. North Davis Elementary and Pioneer Elementary will be the last two school sites to receive hydration station installations, and both should be completed over the course of the next two months.

Hydration stations already exist at Davis Senior HIgh School, however, additional stations will be installed as part of the CTE, STEM and Aquatic Center projects.

DJUSD wants to keep you updated on all our Bond Projects. Here are some ways you can learn more:

• Bond Website: Find information on all things DJUSD Bond Program, including information on bond projects, presentations, bond news stories and more.

• Bond Calendar: View all of our previous and upcoming meetings about our various bond projects.

• Bond Public Outreach: Our public outreach website highlights our detailed communication plan for each bond project.

• Social Media: Follow DJUSD on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for additional highlights and pictures of our bond projects. #DJUSDBond.

• Contact us with questions or feedback at facilityplanning@djusd.net.

• Invite your friends and neighbors to subscribe to this e-newsletter!