Students and staff returned to a newly transformed Los Robles–Ronald McNair Academy, celebrating the completion of a full campus renovation that brings modern learning spaces and expanded outdoor learning opportunities to the heart of East Palo Alto.

 

The approximately $25 million project refreshed all 25 classrooms with upgraded HVAC and ventilation systems, improved lighting, new walls and ceilings, and full electrification of the campus. While the building structure remains the same, nearly every interior space was thoughtfully renewed to support teaching and learning.

 

At the center of the campus is a reimagined courtyard which compliments the new outdoor science learning area which is to the west of the school. These spaces allows students to learn and explore outdoors among more than 100 trees representing 25 different species. The campus is now home to California’s first accredited arboretum on a K–12 campus, created through a districtwide partnership with Canopy and supported by state urban forestry grant funding.

 

Completed in just over a year, the project marks the district’s second major campus renovation, following the modernization of Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School in 2024. You can read more about the project in the Almanac, here.