When San Rafael High School said goodbye to the graduating class of 2024, it said hello to what is planned to be over a year of construction. On June 13, 2024, ground was broken on the back part of campus shortly after graduation in order to introduce a new pool, athletic facility, and modernized classrooms to San Rafael teachers and students.
With the current pool nearing 75 years old, and the main gym lacking air conditioning, it is no surprise that San Rafael has decided to rebuild their facilities. However, this shutdown of the campus’ existing athletic and aquatic complex has come with a price that teachers had to pay: moving into new classrooms. Teachers were instructed to pack up their rooms and move into the portable classrooms, newly located on the grass soccer field. When asked why this was the chosen location, Principal Joe Dominguez stated that this was simply the best option. With limited space and an ongoing parking problem, Dominguez wanted to displace as few teachers as possible.
This move has been anything but easy for teachers. The PE department has been left with just five rooms: locker rooms for boys and girls, a multi-purpose room, a tiny weight room, and a yoga room. Since school finished in June, teachers have been busy with not only loading their classrooms into boxes, but also have been struggling to find the time to fully move into their new rooms.
Mrs. Healy, a San Rafael PE and health teacher, said teachers “were given time to pack up in the Spring, but not given overtime to move in in the Fall.” With this, she and her colleagues describe how they have not yet found the time to fully unpack and settle into their temporary classrooms, although assistance from the maintenance department has been helpful.
Aside from the challenges faced regarding moving in, teachers have expressed their concerns about other possible bumps in the road. The construction has taken away facilities the PE classes usually use, such as the Adventure Room, both gyms, and the swimming pool. This has led teachers to make necessary adjustments in their curriculum.
Because of challenges like extreme heat or not enough space, Mr. Butler, another San Rafael PE teacher, says that he has found himself having to make adaptations on the spot, and since teachers are used to following routines, new class locations have made things unpredictable.
Without having large spaces like the gym, PE is left with either gathering in small classrooms or facing the outside conditions. This has made Healy say that teaching her own classes makes her feel “like a substitute teacher some days because it’s a whole new curriculum.”
Despite times of uncertainty and confusion among PE teachers, they have acknowledged some of the benefits that lay within this situation. Having dealt with similar experiences in the past, such as main gym flooding and football field remodeling, the PE department believes that this is something they can handle.
Butler says he appreciates that teachers have been brought closer together, as they now sit down with one another to discuss and plan their classes as best as they can. PE teachers have also said that they’ve noticed an improvement in attendance.
With students no longer having to walk to the far side of campus, teachers have noted that there has been a decrease in tardiness so far. Bella Everett, a sophomore at San Rafael, says “being on time has actually been easier because classrooms are closer to the front of the school.” Although challenges are sure to occur, it is good to know that teachers and students have found something beneficial in this.
Overall, students have had a similar view on this situation. Like their teachers, PE students have stated that one of the biggest challenges with their new classrooms has been having to adapt to outside conditions, such as hot temperatures or the possibility of rain. A student who wishes to remain anonymous said that they’ve experienced heat both inside and outside of the portables, but this is a minimal concern for them as the rest of their experience has been just fine.
On the other hand, students have spoken about locker room privacy being a concern for students. Everett says having to dress out for class in front of other students can be uncomfortable and awkward at times, and she wishes the portable locker rooms offered the same privacy as the ones in the athletic complex. Aside from these challenges, students have not yet faced other troubles in regards to their new PE classrooms.
Like any construction project, delays and troubles are bound to happen.
Tim Ryan, Senior Director of Strategic Facility Planning for the San Rafael City Schools district, says that this project has faced many delays, with the biggest being the construction company needing approval from the California Geological Survey, or the CGS. With the soil on San Rafael’s campus being “poor for construction,” as Ryan described it, it was impossible to break ground without knowing if it was safe to do so. After getting approval to begin the project, Ryan hopes the rest of the construction will stick to schedule and wrap up in December of 2025.
Principal Dominguez is confident that construction will remain on schedule. However he is “prepared to roll with any delays,” and is excited to see what comes to be.
Although packing up and moving classrooms is not an ideal situation for any teacher, the PE department remains in good spirits. They have acknowledged that good things come with sacrifice, and that this is a temporary setback that will result in a long term reward. The department is looking forward to being able to move back into familiar territory, and make use out of their new pool and the 5000 square-foot athletic facility, named the Dawg House.
