Duveneck Elementary School

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Duveneck Elementary School

705 Alester Avenue

Built: 1950, 1955, 1969, 2002, 2013            

Total Site Area:

6.5 Acres

Building Area/Miscellaneous Circulation

3.0

Parking Area

0.6

Hard-Court Play Area

1.1

Turf Play Area

1.8

Building Area:                          XX,XXX SF

Existing Classroom Size           960 to 1440 SF

2018/2019 Enrollment:           372

Duveneck Elementary School is comprised of eight permanent single-story buildings and a single two-story building arranged in an elongated U configuration around a central playground and field space.  The Duveneck campus was originally constructed in 1950

The original buildings were the two classroom wings and the Administration building, which were built in 1950.  A Multipurpose building was constructed in 1955, and the library building was built in 1969.

In 2002, a new classroom wing was built as part of the Building for Excellence program, which also renovated the existing classrooms, Administration building and the Library.

In 2013, as part of the Strong Schools Bond program, a new two-story classroom wing with eight classrooms and two single-story classroom wings with three new classrooms were constructed. The DKC portable buildings were relocated and five portable classrooms were removed from the campus. In addition, the classroom wing built during B4E was renovated into a new Library, and the old Library was renovated into an enrichment lab.

Needs Summary

The existing administration and multipurpose buildings are undersized for the current program for a school this size. The multipurpose building is also undersized and located well inside the campus and far from the front of the school.

Proposed masterplan projects include:

  • Demolish existing administration wing and multipurpose room
  • Construct new multipurpose building with enrichment lab
  • Construct administration building
  • Modernization of existing classrooms
  • A/C throughout
  • Exterior envelope improvements
  • Add an accessible playground

Replacement will bring facilities to district standards while improving use of the site. PAUSD plans air conditioning installation at all schools. In conjunction with the air conditioning work the campus will require energy efficiency upgrades including envelope improvements such as new doors and windows, as well as solar panel installation. Classroom modernization will also include an upgraded technology infrastructure and equipment including projectors and LED screens.

Site work includes new playground, parking and drop off paving and an accessible playground. Some utility services will also need replacement.

Facilities Conditions

The school is located on Alester Ave. and has significant traffic issues with respect to drop off and parking.  The site parking on Alester combined with student drop off and bus parking creates major conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians. However, there are few remedies to improve this situation.  ADA site accessibility and parking spaces were improved during the Strong Schools Bond program and the campus is currently in compliance with ADA requirements.

The asphalt parking lot on campus was patched and has recently been overlaid. The fire lane was installed in 2003 and expanded in 2013, so it is in good condition. The hardcourts were recently resurfaced in 2013 and are showing no signs of failure. The redtop areas under the canopy are cracked badly and will need to be replaced in the future.

The site sanitary sewer and most of the domestic water lines feeding the campus are original and have not been replaced.  A portion of the domestic water system was installed in 1989, along with a backflow preventer. These lines should be evaluated and replaced if necessary.  The fire water lines and hydrants were installed during Building for Excellence, as was a new electrical service.  The gas service is run overhead exposed on the roof and was installed in 1976. 

Site drainage systems were installed on campus in both 2003 and 2013 in most areas, and site drainage was improved at the front of the school.  However, like some other campuses in northern Palo Alto, the City’s drainage system cannot handle the runoff in periods of heavy rainfall, causing local flooding along Alester.

The existing buildings on the Duveneck Elementary School campus are in generally good condition, having just recently been renovated in 2003 or newly built in 2013.  The exceptions to the above include the Administration wing and Multipurpose building, which are still deficient to meet the needs of this large school. 

The campus was also made accessible during the 2013 project, with path of travel and restroom upgrades made throughout the campus. In 2003, voluntary seismic upgrades were undertaken for the original classroom buildings and canopy structures.

The older classroom buildings on campus have built up roofing, hollow metal doors and a painted stucco exterior.  The two original classroom wings have large windows running the length of the exterior walls and have volume ceilings and clerestory windows in each classroom.  The original windows were left in place, and include the original single pane glazing in most cases.  This is causing significant air infiltration and heat loss, which impacts the heating systems for the buildings during cold weather.  Toward the center of campus, each classroom opens below a large canopy, where picnic tables are arranged outside each classroom to serve as an outdoor learning area for each classroom space.

The Library building was originally built in 2003 as four new classrooms and was converted in 2013 to a new Library.   The old Library was converted to an enrichment lab. The building exterior is wood shingle and is built using a modular classroom unit on a concrete foundation. This building is slated for demolition in future plans to make way for a new Multipurpose building.

The Administration area was last renovated in 2003 with new flooring, casework and paint. Mechanical equipment, plumbing and lighting were replaced throughout. The Multipurpose building at 2,666 SF is undersized for the planned campus capacity, and is also poorly located on campus for lunch service and night activities.   This building is also slated for demolition in the future.