Sunset High School adds classrooms

Construction on an approximately 21,000 sq. ft. classroom building will begin during Spring Break, the week of March 24-28, according to Leslie Imes, a Project Manager for the Beaverton School District (BSD). In addition to the new building, which will house 14 classrooms, remodeling of 20,000 sq. ft of classroom and counseling spaces will occur in the existing facility. Additional parking and landscaping improvements are included in the $10 million project. Remodeling of the existing building should be done in time for classes in the fall. The current construction schedule is to complete the new building addition by January, 2009.

Sunset High School had approximately 1700 students in 2001. In 2002, BSD received approval from Beaverton (which had annexed it in 1999) for an expansion project to provide additional classroom space to accommodate the predicted increase in enrollment over the next few years. Eight portable classrooms were added between 2003-2004. The current enrollment is around 2100 students. A bond measure passed in 2006 provided funds to add permanent classroom space to meet current and future needs. The school is eventually expected to support a student body of 2400. An additional new classroom building will be needed to serve this eventual increase, which will require another bond measure.

The new building, which will be located south of the main building, will have 12 regular classrooms and two science classrooms, which will be outfitted for full biology or chemistry use with fume hoods, gas turrets, and a science prep room between the classrooms. The science tables and cabinet tops will be chemical (acid) resistant with numerous sinks and data outlets for student use. The eight portables will be removed.

Imes describes the new addition as, “a one story building with brick veneer/metal siding to match the last construction at the site completed in 2003. In addition, eight of the existing science classrooms will be remodeled and receive finish upgrades to update them to modern standards.”

As part of this major improvement, student counseling offices will be relocated to be closer to the main office. The existing counseling space will be reconfigured for additional library storage and small group learning spaces. The area being vacated is not of a configuration that is easily adaptable or large enough for actual classroom usage.

41 new parking spaces will be added to the site. Currently, parking is not specifically designated for staff or students so there will be an overall increase to all. Additional sidewalks and landscaping will complete the project.

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