In April 2019, Jurupa Unified School District celebrated the modernization of Ina Arbuckle Elementary School. The project utilized funds from bond Measure EE, passed in November 2014, to upgrade school facilities and improve safety and security. Next in line for modernization was West Riverside Elementary.
With buildings on campus dating back to 1935, West Riverside Elementary School was in need of an update. The administration building was located inside the campus, creating security concerns when visitors entered the site. Providing a secure point of entry became a primary goal for the school—along with consolidating kindergarten classrooms and creating a larger thoroughfare to better connect the campus and community. These upgrades will increase parking capacity and provide a secure drop-off for students. Additional modernizations will revitalize the campus and provide updated facilities that will help students learn, connect, and thrive.
This process began in 2015 when our design team created a master plan for the site complete with conceptual design sketches and landscaping.
As we collaborated with the district throughout the design process, the scope of the project evolved to include a new administration building, a new library, and a new kindergarten wing and general education classrooms. The existing administration building would be converted into classrooms to increase student capacity in the rapidly growing neighborhood, and the abandoned Building 400 would be converted into an innovation center.
Preliminary Site Plan
New Administration with single point of entry
Modernized Classrooms
Abandoned Building 400 converted into an Innovation cCenter
Construction on West Riverside Elementary began in November of 2018 and is scheduled to complete in June 2020.
District leaders, students, and community members celebrated the completion of the innovation center with a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony on November 20, 2019.
The building was dedicated to Rear Admiral Allen E. Hill in appreciation and recognition of his loyal and dedicated service in the United States Navy. Admiral Hill is a lifelong Jurupa Valley resident and he was a student at West Riverside Elementary before going on to become a highly decorated fighter/light attack aviator.
“A young kid can dream about things and have them fulfilled by [setting objectives and] working hard at them,” he said during the ceremony. The Innovation Center will not only increase access to tools and technology for students in the area but will also give them the space to discover, ask questions and dream.
