The second phase of Gunn’s ongoing three-year modernization project has begun with a reprogram of the K-building, which will include the addition of two new science labs set to open by December of the 2025-26 school year, according to Senior Construction Project Manager Mohammed Sedqi. In addition, future plans include removing the V-building and temporarily relocating its portable classrooms to both the K- and E-buildings.
Gunn is set to consolidate its science labs into a single, more centralized location on campus. Currently, they are spread across the V-, L- and J-buildings—with two labs in the village, two in the L-building, and ten in the J-building. According to Sedqi, the labs in the V-building will soon be relocated to the K-building, which is under construction following the recent shift of the culinary arts classrooms to the newly inaugurated B-building facility.
“(The) V-classrooms are the portables,” he wrote in an email. “(The interior functionality of classrooms) and the students’ (two labs) will be relocated to the K-building when the construction is completed.”
According to science teacher Laurie Pennington, the goal is to create a more accessible space where all science teachers can work in proximity. The current setup forces students and teachers to rush across campus between classes, particularly those in the V-building. However, by next December, this transition is expected to ease all of these logistical challenges for both staff and students.
“In terms of students, (the project will ensure that) nobody’s gonna have to be in the village anymore,” she said. “All the science places will be much closer. If the teachers don’t have to run back and forth and are less exhausted, then that will be better for students.”
Assistant Principal of Facilities Dr. Mycal Hixon echoes this point, highlighting that the new locations of science classrooms will increase teamwork between teachers.
“The other science labs and science classrooms are in the J-building, which is directly adjacent to the K-building,” he said. “That allows the science teachers closer access to each other for collaboration purposes.”
The new labs will feature eight lab stations with seating in the center of the room, while the back area will serve as a designated space for chemical storage separate from the J-building. More chemistry labs will be added to alleviate the need for science teachers to share classrooms. In addition, Gunn wants to ensure that the new labs follow California regulations, which include up-to-date equipment that abides by fire code.
According to Hixon, the main reason for the construction project was to provide students with ample space for learning.
“Part of the discussion was we needed a new lab and a new space,” he said. “We had a lot of students, and we needed more space for them.”
However, the science labs aren’t the only classes that will be relocated. According to Hixon, two history classes and the English Language Learners program will move from the V-building to the E-building, the site of the former temporary main office. The construction of these classrooms is expected to be completed by the start of the 2025-26 school year, though the timeline is not yet set in stone.
Hixon explained that the future removal of V-building portables will open up an area that could be used for more parking spaces.
“(The addition of parking spots) sounds like a multiple-year-long project, but eventually, the goal is that the portables will not exist here anymore,” Hixon said.
