Schools

VIDEO: Former San Clemente School Gets Torn Down

A large crane tore through the old building Monday morning. Demolition will take about three weeks before the construction of the new Cove School gets underway.






Administrators donned their hard hats in front of the former San Clemente School, cameras ready as a giant crane tore through the structure.

“It’s a little sad for me,” said Larkspur-Corte Madera School District Superintendent Valerie Pitts. “I grew up here.”

Contractors began the demolition of the building on Monday to make way for construction of the new, $19 million Cove School that’s part of the $40 million modernization project funded primarily through Measure A, a bond that voters passed in 2011 to combat rising enrollment. The project goes hand-in-hand with upgrades at Hall Middle School and Neil Cummins Elementary School.

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Pitts also called it “a very prideful moment,” and said she was thankful to the community for supporting the dream of building a new school.

The San Clemente School closed in the early 1980’s when enrollment was declining, and for years the district leased the building to the private French school Lycee Francais. Lycee Francais closed in June and relocated to Sausalito.

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Michelle Walker, who started this year as principal of Cove School, said it’s been a long time coming.

“It’s very exciting for all these kids to have a neighborhood school here,” she said.

The demolition is expected to last about three weeks, and a ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the Cove School is scheduled for August 17.

Set to open in fall 2014, the 35,000-square-foot school will accommodate 325 students. It will include new classroom buildings, a multi-use room, library, performing arts studio and classroom, learning center, student services suite, warming kitchen and adjacent servery, art courtyard and site improvements.

Walker said after starting the facilities master planning in 2008, the demolition marked a milestone. 

“This day represents so many decisions and meetings and days of hard work,” she said. “This is huge.”


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