Barron Park Elementary School

Profile

Barron Park Elementary School

800 Barron Avenue

Built:  1947, 1950, 1978, 2001, 2008                   

Building Area:                          36,400 SF

Existing Classroom Size           920 to 1440 SF

2018/2019 Enrollment:           247

Barron Park Elementary School, formerly known as Herbert Hoover Elementary School. is comprised of 4 single story buildings in an L configuration surrounding a central playground and field space. 

The Administration building and adjacent classroom wing was originally built in 1947. In 1950, a second classroom wing and the Multipurpose buildings were added.  A fire in 1977 destroyed much of the original wing and the Administration building, which was reconstructed in 1978 along with a new multipurpose room.

The 2001 work also included site improvements as well as construction of a new library building and four new classrooms. Also on site are 4 relocatable buildings, including 1 classroom, 1 science resource center and two Day-Care facilities.

During Building for Excellence, a new Library building and classroom wing were added to the campus, and the remainder of the classrooms and support spaces were renovated. In 2008 two new 1440 sf modular buildings were added to the site.

Needs Summary

Existing administration, multipurpose and kindergarten buildings are undersize and obsolete and occupy an important area of the site. Barron Park lacks adequate enrichment labs.

Proposed masterplan projects include:

• Demolish existing admin, multipurpose, modular buildings and kindergarten wing for replacement
• Construct new wing with admin, learning center, multipurpose and enrichment lab
• Construct new kindergarten wing, play area
• Construct new three classroom wing
• Modernization of existing classrooms
• A/C throughout
• Exterior envelope improvements
• Accessible playground

Replacement will bring admin, multipurpose and kindergarten facilities to district standards while improving use of the site. Three new classrooms will be built in an area now occupied by only two modular buildings.

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 paving, accessible playground, and planting.

Facilities Conditions

The Barron Park site was extensively renovated during the Building for Excellence Program. The school is located on Barron Ave. and has no major traffic conflicts between vehicle and pedestrian patterns.   ADA site accessibility and parking was improved during Building for Excellence.

The asphalt fire lanes on campus were installed during the Building for Excellence Program. However, there are some smaller paved areas that will need to be replaced.  The hardcourt and parking lot spaces were resurfaced but are showing some signs of age. The redtop areas under the canopy are heavily cracked and heaving in some locations and will need to be replaced in the future.

The site sanitary sewer and domestic water lines feeding the campus are original and have not been replaced.  These lines should be evaluated and replaced if necessary.  Some portions of the fire water lines were installed during Building for Excellence, as was a new electrical service.  The gas service is run overhead exposed on the roof.  Site drainage systems were installed during the Building for Excellence Program.

The existing buildings on the Barron Park Elementary School campus are in generally good condition, having been renovated as part of the Building for Excellence program.  However, this modernization program did not address several areas of the campus, which will need to be addressed with future funding. 

All of the buildings on campus have asphalt shingle or built up roofing, hollow metal doors and paint on the exterior.  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. 

The campus accessibility was updated during the renovation, with path of travel and restroom upgrades throughout the campus. However, new codes will require some ADA upgrades on future projects. In addition, voluntary seismic upgrades were undertaken for all the buildings and canopy structures during B4E, except for the Multipurpose building.

The campus has three major classroom wings that surround the central play areas.  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.  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 third classroom wing includes four classrooms and the Library and was constructed in 2001 during the Building for Excellence Program.

The classroom interiors in the two original classroom wings were modernized with flooring, wall surfaces, markerboards, furnace units, lighting, power and data distribution.  Portions of the casework were replaced with new plastic laminate units, with the remaining casework left in place as painted wood.  The glue up acoustic ceiling tiles were either replaced or left in place, and painted to appear uniform, diminishing the acoustic qualities of the tiles. New finishes will be needed in future plans for the classrooms.

The 2,500 SF Library was completed on this campus as part of the Building for Excellence Program.  The Administration area was renovated with new flooring, casework and paint. Mechanical equipment, plumbing and lighting were replaced throughout.  The Multipurpose building was only slightly modernized, with new flooring and a handicap lift placed within the interior.  The Multipurpose building at 3,075 SF is undersized for the planned campus capacity but is larger than most of the other Multipurpose buildings.