Story and photos
by Nadia Bidarian
Thanks to a $59 million facilities improvement bond passed by the Hermosa Beach community in 2016, Hermosa View Elementary School is undergoing construction to modernize its campus. The groundbreaking ceremony took place last Wednesday, June 30.
In the June 2016 election, 59 percent of Hermosa residents voted to pass Measure S. Measure S allocated money to address Hermosa’s “overcrowded” and “outdated” educational facilities, according to the Hermosa Beach City School District (HBCSD) website.
“With Measure S, we’re building for a brighter future,” HBCSD School Board President Stephen McCall said at last week’s ceremony.
There are three schools in HBCSD: Hermosa View, a TK-2nd grade school, Hermosa Vista, a 3rd-4th grade school, and Hermosa Valley, a 5-8th grade school. Construction to revitalize Hermosa Vista Elementary was completed in April.
“At Hermosa Vista, we have a stunning design, zero net energy, and we’re able to meet the future learning needs of our students. At Hermosa Valley School, there has also been significant modernization and safety improvements,” McCall said. “A year from now, we’ll practically have a new school here at Hermosa View.”
Construction on Hermosa View Elementary School is set to finish in late July or early August 2022, according to HBCSD School Board member Jennifer Cole. Next school year, Hermosa View students will be divided up between their two sister schools until construction is complete. TK-2nd grade students will attend Hermosa Vista Elementary, while 3rd-8th grade students will attend Hermosa Valley.
In the 2022-23 school year, Hermosa Valley will resume serving 5th-8th grade students only.
“We were the first public school in LA County to get our students back in the classroom on a traditional schedule. We are continuing our culture of excellence, focus on equity and inclusion, and ensuring that we have good financial standing,” McCall said. “The future is absolutely bright for HBCSD.” ER
