Canyon Classroom Replacement Project

Canyon Charter Elementary is in the middle of a multi-year classroom replacement project planned, funded, and managed by the Los Angeles Unified School District. The district is replacing the portable classrooms that have served our campus for decades with a permanent two story building, and rebuilding the grounds, parking, and playground around it.

This page records what LAUSD and Principal Nicole Sheard have stated publicly about the project, together with the date of each statement. Estimates change as the work proceeds, and the source and date are given so that families can see which information is the most recent.

Last updated September 19, 2026.

Project History and Approvals

In November 2017, the LAUSD Board of Education approved the replacement of portable classrooms across the district, including Canyon. Funding for the Canyon project was approved in November 2021. The plans were reviewed and approved by the district and by the California Coastal Commission. Construction began in January 2024.

The New Classroom Building

• Two stories, roughly 17,800 square feet
• Nine classrooms
• Science space and additional support spaces
• A designated special education room
• Relocation and restoration of our historic 1894 School House

At the community meeting held on June 16, 2026, LAUSD described the nine rooms as three kindergarten classrooms and six general classrooms. At the August 2026 Booster meeting, Principal Sheard described the grade placement as kindergarten on the lower floor and fourth and fifth grade on the upper floor.

Campus Site Improvements

Alongside the new building, the project covers work across the rest of the campus:

• Removal of the remaining portable classrooms and the existing kindergarten building
• Rerouting of a sewer line beneath the campus
• Technology network and fire alarm upgrades
• ADA improvements, including accessible ramps, railings, and parking
• A new playground with a cool surface coating
• New landscaping, hardscape, irrigation, and expanded staff parking

Trees

The landscaping plan removes three eucalyptus and one jacaranda. LAUSD stated at the June 2026 community meeting that the total number of trees on site will increase by 20 by the end of construction, to 86.

Project Cost and Funding

LAUSD has put the total project cost at $57.5 million. The project is funded and managed entirely by the district. No Booster Club funds and no family donations go toward the construction.

Five-Phase Construction Sequence

LAUSD presented a five phase sequence at the community meeting held on June 16, 2026.

Phase One covers the sewer line reroute along with interim classroom space and ADA ramps and railings. The interim classrooms and ADA work are finished. The sewer line required a redesign after crews encountered conditions that the original plan did not account for, and that portion is now scheduled for summer 2027.

Phase Two covers the historic School House and the new two story building. The School House has been moved and connected to utilities, with a retaining wall alongside it. Construction of the new classroom building is underway.

Phase Three brings demolition of the remaining classroom building, removal of the interim units, temporary staff parking, and the start of work on the playground.

Phase Four brings demolition of the kindergarten building and completion of the new staff parking lot.

Phase Five completes all hardscape, irrigation, and landscaping.

Project Schedule and Completion Estimates

Below are the timing estimates given publicly for each milestone, along with the source of the estimate and the date it was given.

Two estimates for the new classroom building are currently in circulation. Icon West, the general contractor, has told the school it expects to finish by the end of December 2026. The district's own estimate is spring 2027. Principal Sheard reported both figures at the August 2026 Booster meeting and is in daily contact with the contractor and the LAUSD project manager.

LAUSD sets and revises this schedule, and the school has no role in it. The district's published estimates have moved over the course of the project, and this page is updated whenever the district issues a new one.

Classroom Relocation When the New Building Opens

The new building holds nine classrooms, and fifteen Canyon classrooms will change rooms when it opens. Kindergarten moves to the lower floor of the new building, and fourth and fifth grade move to the upper floor. Most of the remaining classes move into rooms 1 through 10, the permanent structures that stay in place for the rest of the project. Four classrooms stay where they are.

Principal Sheard is working through the relocation logistics with the district, and the timing depends on when LAUSD releases the building. We will share the move schedule, room assignments, and anything families need to do through the Chronicle and this page once the district confirms the move-in window.

Campus Changes That Follow the Move

Several parts of the project can only begin once classes are out of the current buildings. LAUSD and Principal Sheard have described the sequence in this order:

1. Demolition of the kindergarten building
2. Removal of the remaining portable classrooms
3. A temporary parking lot along the Entrada Drive fence while the front lot is rebuilt
4. Reconstruction of the front parking lot, which changes orientation and moves to roughly where the kindergarten building stands today
5. A new front entrance with a walkway leading up to it
6. The full playground, including a grass field running along the front of the new building

The temporary lot takes some playground space while it is in use, and less than the construction footprint takes today. Once the front entrance is finished, families and visitors will have a clearly marked path from the street to the school office.

Special Education Facilities

Canyon's special education center now occupies the full library bungalow, which became available when the library returned to its permanent space for the 2026-27 school year. The main room serves as the special education center and includes a calming tent, and general education students are welcome to use the space for quiet work or a break from the classroom. The smaller room houses the weekly providers who serve students with IEPs, including speech and occupational therapy. The assistant principal who oversees special education works from the bungalow on Fridays.

In the new classroom building, one of the two teacher workrooms is being designated as Canyon's special education room. It is larger than the space the program worked from previously.

The 1894 School House

Our School House has been the heart of this campus since 1894, and it is the oldest school building still used by children anywhere in Los Angeles County. It has been moved several times across its history, most recently in 1997 and again as part of this project.

Moving and restoring the School House was one of the first major pieces of the work, and it was sequenced early so that playground space could open back up for students. The building was relocated, connected to utilities, and given a retaining wall alongside it. It received a round of care and upgrades over the summer of 2026, including a restored bell in the belfry that rings again. Completing this phase also opened additional playground area and a new outdoor reading space.

Current Work and Daily Campus Impact

Most of the work underway is interior. Recent weekly reports have listed drywall, painting, electrical, window waterproofing, restroom tile, and the concrete block site wall. Between 36 and 50 workers have been on site on a typical day this fall, and nearly all of them are inside the building, which is why the site can look quiet from the street.

LAUSD has reported no anticipated impact to drop-off, pick-up, or campus access from the work scheduled through September 2026. Families should expect periodic noise during the school day.

The contractor issues a written update every Friday. Principal Sheard includes it in the Chronicle each Sunday, and this page is updated as the district revises the scope or the schedule.

Project Contacts and Where to Send Questions

Construction questions go to LAUSD rather than to the school office, since the district manages the project directly and holds the schedule.

Maribel Serrano, LAUSD Community Relations, (213) 241-2258, cp-maribel-serrano@lausd.net. Ms. Serrano handles the detailed logistical questions about the project and can add you to the project notification list. Her contact information also appears on the LAUSD construction flyers sent to families.

Facilities Services Division, Community Relations, (213) 241-1340, lausd.org/facilities/community-relations

For general questions, and for anything covered in the Chronicle, please contact Principal Nicole Sheard. For anything about your child's school day, reach the Canyon office at 310.454.7510.