May is a whirl of activity in our school district, as teachers and students begin leaning towards the end of the year, and staff begin planning for final performances, tests, promotion and graduation ceremonies, summer projects, and, yes, the 2025-26 school year. The last day of school this year is June 5, the last day of graduation ceremonies is June 6, and the first day of our next school year will be August 11.
The Board of Education has approved the schematic design for a new gymnasium at Encinal Jr. & Sr. High School. The new gym will include a basketball court; striping for volleyball, basketball, and other sports; new bleachers; a lobby with restrooms; a weight room; support spaces; and a courtyard with benches and bike parking.
Construction is expected to begin in June, 2026 and to be complete by September, 2027. The cost is estimated at $21.3 million.
As a reminder, Encinal is also getting a new stadium and playing field that will include: an eight-lane, all-weather, 400-meter track; discus, high-jump, long-jump, and shot put facilities; new bleachers; a new announcer’s booth and PA system; new LED lights, and a relocated scoreboard. That field is under construction now—turf is expected to be laid this month—and is expected to be usable this coming October. The old gym, including the stage, also will be upgraded.
The pile-driving phase of the new Wood Middle School campus stopped two weeks ago, much to the relief of neighbors, as we know. Foundations for the new classroom building, gym, and office/media center have been poured, and the walls for the office/media center are being built. It is super exciting to see this campus begin to take shape after months of demolition and site preparation.
Finally, the Alameda High School Swim Center—which is being entirely rebuilt—is scheduled to open next summer (2026). That project will include a 12-lane x 30-meter competition pool for swim and water polo, a four-lane practice pool, new pool deck with lighting, all new fencing, and other aquatic amenities. This is a joint project of the City of Alameda and Alameda Unified School District and will be available for community use in addition to AHS student use.
All of these projects are being funded by Measure B, the $298 million facilities bond approved by Alameda voters in 2022. We are deeply grateful for the community’s support in providing beautiful, modern learning and athletic environments for our students.
You can find links to information about all of these projects on AUSD’s Construction web page.
Susan Davis is the Senior Manager of Community Affairs for the Alameda Unified School District. Reach her at [email protected].
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