Mission Campus Development

Last Updated: October 30, 2024
Chan Kaajal Park does not have a public bathroom easily accessible to La Scuola students as it is located in the condominium building next door. Students are encouraged to use the bathroom before walking to the park. In the case that a student needs to use the bathroom while at the park, one faculty or staff member will accompany the student to Robin’s Cafe to use the bathroom. 

School security will “sweep” the park each morning before the first group of students arrive to ensure there is no threatening or illegal behavior taking place, and will continue to do so throughout the day until the last group of students returns to campus. Mission Police Station is always on call and we can contact them directly as needed.

Taking movement breaks is a part of our regular classroom routines, even when we do have outdoor space! We know that movement is important for the development of young brains and bodies. This looks different in every classroom, but students may have yoga or dance breaks in their classrooms. During moments when construction is not dusty or loud, we will also make use of the limited outdoor space for children to stretch and move. We will be ordering some equipment to use in that space once the excavation is completed and students will have an opportunity to run and jump outside. We also have noticed that students use a lot of energy at the park, with a long recess that includes a walk to and from the space!

We are finding that having lunch indoors is actually an improvement for our students. Being outdoors to eat brings some distractions, and having a quieter, calm space to eat keeps our students focused on eating and ensures that they can eat in a relaxed way to get the nutrition and water that they need.

Elementary grades have four teachers accompany them in groups to the park and back in addition to a security guard. Middle School students are accompanied by three teachers. While at the park, students play in designated zones in the playground area and teachers are stationed on the playground with full visibility to all the students. 

The entrance gate at the corner of Folsom Street and 17th Street must stay open the entire day.  Security will mainly be stationed in front of the entrance which provides excellent site lines to ensure the safety of the students but will also sweep throughout the day. 

Routines are in place to ensure the gate on 17th near Shotwell is closed after students arrive. Attendance is taken when leaving campus, while at the park, when leaving the park and when arriving back to campus. 

Security is on site daily while students and staff are present in addition to the nightly patrol. Oscar starts early each day to ensure we are ready to start that day. We have put new routines in place to ensure students are well-chaperoned and monitored as they move between St. Charles and San Carlos. Faculty and staff are trained regularly in de-escalation practices, field trip safety and protocol and we will continue our regular safety checks and drills starting in September, a long-time school practice that we continue to adapt and improve.  Any visitors check in with our main office and through our Visitor Management System.

La Scuola continues active collaboration with city agencies, neighborhood groups, and other local schools focused on continued improvement to street conditions and safety in the Mission District. Your voice matters, so please continue to write to local agencies and your district supervisor as needed. 

What happens in an emergency?
Faculty, staff and La Scuola security guards are trained in the school’s emergency protocols and procedures. Depending on the type of emergency, security is typically the first to intervene and escalate to local agencies SFPD Mission Station or SFPD’s Crisis Intervention Team as needed. Walkie talkies are used to communicate with each other and with the office who will support in the case of an emergency so those on site can focus on keeping students safe and out of harm’s way. 

What type of scenario planning has the school done in case students see or engage with something distressing?
Faculty and staff practice safety drills monthly throughout the school year that include Fire, Earthquake, Lockdown and Evacuation drills. We also require all faculty and staff to participate in annual de-escalation training. The assigned Command Team is made up of decision makers who observe, assess and delegate when faced with an emergency situation.

How do parents have certainty about who lives/is watching from the building next to the playground?
La Scuola faculty, staff and security are always watching for any suspicious activity or behavior and will report immediately to local authorities.  The park is public therefore the school cannot always control who is present or passes by. 

Is the school aware of the type of road construction being done on 17th?
The Folsom Area Stormwater Improvement Project began in 2023 and is set to be complete in 2027. You can learn more about the project here and view a map of the project and anticipated phasing below.

How often are the vests laundered?  How many students share the vests?
Currently vests are laundered bi-weekly for students. Each student will have a clean, dedicated vest to use for the week. 

Can I purchase a vest for my child to wear so I can launder as needed at home?
The goal is for all students to wear the same vests for easy visibility and the school currently plans to supply them. 

Can we provide fans or air conditioners in the classrooms given that windows will be closed for sound and dust mitigation?
The school is fortunate to have large classroom spaces and common areas with good ventilation. Each classroom has a dedicated HEPA air filter that also acts as a fan and circulates the air which will be on all day while students are present. Windows will be kept closed. There is central heating and with very limited exceptions throughout the year, there is no need for additional air conditioning units at this time.

The new building project is being paid for through a combination of philanthropic donations from our community (the Embrace Capital Campaign) and tax-exempt bond financing. We are pleased to share that the financing is scheduled to close the first week of October 2024, and construction will begin immediately after. As we break ground, we also launch the public phase of the Embrace campaign; to-date, we have raised $9 million of our $10 million philanthropic goal. La Scuola’s Board of Directors and Leadership team have been hard at work to secure this funding for many years, and fundraising will continue throughout construction until we reach our target.

The construction timeline is not dependent on La Scuola’s fundraising campaign(s). The school has already secured funding for the project through tax-exempt bond financing in addition to philanthropic donations. However, we will continue to fundraise throughout construction, until we reach our goal, to pay back a portion of the bond proceeds to lower the annual debt service.

Our General Contractor, Build Group, has over 17 years of experience in the city of San Francisco and has worked with many local schools. They are committed to serving local communities and along all the construction phases will prioritize the safety and well-being of the La Scuola community. They are proud to have a stellar safety rating and they accurately selected the team members for this project.

Mitigation measures are required by the city of San Francisco and will be shared in advance with the La Scuola Community to address things like soil movement, air quality, sound, and general impact of the project. Environmental engineers will be assigned and a system put in place to measure air quality due to construction that alerts the team if it should ever go above the established threshold.  La Scuola has also done this before on the Dogpatch campus and is familiar with best practices and protocol and how to be vigilant at all times.

Fortunately, minimal demolition is involved, as we were able to demolish the convent building during pandemic closure, and therefore remediation and soil excavation has been reduced to a minimum. Build Group has provided a detailed timeline of the construction, highlighting dust, noise, or vibration peaks and faculty will plan accordingly to minimize the impact on the learning environment.

In addition the chosen foundation approach is based on installed drilled foundation elements, which will significantly reduce noise compared to driven deep foundation piles and peers. 

What kind of Dust Mitigation practices will be in place? 

Please access the relevant excerpts from the Site Mitigation Plan approved by the City of San Francisco here. 

Building Design Measures

• New Building utilizing existing building footprint; minimal new excavation

Construction Operation Measures: 

• Track-out of loose earth materials controlled used gravel pad and/or rumble strips
• Excavation areas shall be watered at a minimum frequency to mitigate generation of airborne particulate
• Inactive stockpiles shall be thoroughly wetted, tarped, and secured to contain fugitive dust
• Truck tires will be brushed prior to leaving the Site and truck loading areas will be routinely swept
• Perimeter Air Quality Monitors shall be installed by project’s environmental consultant at the start of each work day and removed at the end of the work day.

What are your dust control for lead practices?

Exterior

• Background lead levels will be established by sampling for two days prior to start.
• Separate air monitoring for lead during excavation and disposal will run full-shift daily.
• Air monitoring samples that are higher than background will stop work.

Interior

• Dust wipe samples will be taken prior to start of work to establish background.
• Windows will remain closed and air purifiers will be deployed during excavation/disposal operations.
• Dust wipe samples during excavation/disposal operations that return with higher than background will require cleaning of the interior.

Building Design Measures

• No driven piles; Foundation elements are drilled columns

Construction Operation Measures: 

• Stationary noise sources (e.g. compressors) to be located as far from classrooms as possible
• Hydraulically or Electronically powered impact tools to be used whenever possible
• Primary Concrete Foundation Pour to be scheduled on a Saturday
• Equipment/Trucks to utilize best available noise control technologies (improved mufflers, intake silencers, engine enclosures, etc.)
• Idling of trucks/equipment shall be limited and strictly enforced