Bisnow’s first-ever Southern California K-12 School Real Estate & Facilities Summit was held June 2 at the Omni Hotel in Los Angeles.
By Sarah Clow
91视频 attended on June 2 at the Omni Hotel in Los Angeles, the organization鈥檚 first conference dedicated entirely to K-12. The event brought together school district leaders, architects, contractors and investors to address the funding, design and delivery challenges reshaping school campuses across the region.
From Bond to Building: Funding, Procurement and Delivering K-12 Projects in a High-Cost Environment
Financing K-12 construction in California is complex. Bond dollars are tightly earmarked, and districts are responsible for keeping both the community and industry informed on how those funds are being used. Regulatory hurdles, namely with the Division of the State Architect (DSA) and the Department of Finance for state-funded projects, continue to slow timelines, and panelists stressed that planning needs to start earlier to absorb those delays.
Alternative delivery methods like design-build offer real opportunity in K-12, but early collaboration between project teams is essential. The strategies that impact goals, timelines and funding need to be established from the outset.
As for what鈥檚 getting built, modernization is the dominant story. From Long Beach to Santa Monica, existing school facilities are approaching 70 years old. Seismic upgrades, sustainable renovations, Universal TK facilities, and investments in gyms, arts and experiential learning spaces are driving the current project pipeline. Building on active campuses remains one of the industry鈥檚 most persistent challenges. Panelists described it as 鈥渇ixing the plane while flying,鈥� with early phasing plans and community engagement strategies being critical to keeping projects on track.
Speakers in this session included Carey Upton, Chief Operations Officer at Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District; Kate Hirsh, Co-Head and Managing Director of Healthcare + Education at Turner Impact Capital; Tracy Nishihira, Executive Director of Facilities Development & Planning at Long Beach Unified School District; Brooke Murray, Director of Facilities Planning & Operations at Ontario-Montclair School District; and Dave Amudson, Project Executive at C.W. Driver Companies.
The Future of Southern California K-12 Learning Environments: Safety, Flexibility, Technology and Student Experience
Declining enrollment is reshaping how districts think about their facilities 鈥� and panelists argued that it needs to reshape how they think about their communities. Schools serve more than current students, and long-term planning needs to reflect that.
On technology, the message was practical: build for flexibility now, and design spaces that can accommodate upgrades without full retrofits down the line. Educators also need proper training to make technology investments worthwhile. Inclusive design was another priority, with several Southern California districts committed to integrating special education facilities into every school so families can keep children enrolled at their neighborhood campus.
Safety generated the day鈥檚 most candid conversation. The ideal of open, community-welcoming campuses is in direct tension with today鈥檚 security requirements. Fencing, controlled access and fortified perimeters are becoming standard. The design challenge is making those elements feel considered rather than institutional. Panelists favored modern security detection technology over traditional metal detectors and emphasized that transparency and sightlines remain important tools for creating environments where students feel secure.
Underlying all of it was a call for deeper community engagement. The best school facilities are designed for the people they serve, and that requires understanding what matters to each community from the very start.
Speakers in this session included Alix Walsh O鈥橞rien, FAIA, Deputy Chief Facilities Executive at Los Angeles Unified School District; Kelvin Okino, Executive Director of Facilities and Construction at Irvine Unified School District; Anney Hall, Principal at Lionakis; and Jerry Lam, Principal at Lam + Tea Engineering.