Videos of our latest Facility Improvement Project updates

Santa Monica High School - The new Discovery Building



Will Rogers Learning Community Welcomes Changes with Modernization Project



John Adams Middle School's New Performance Arts Center

FIP: Building 21st-century learning spaces

The Facility Improvement Projects (FIP) department of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) provides construction and program management services for the district's facility capital programs. Our goal is to modernize facilities to support 21st-century learning while being good stewards with school bond funds.

School construction is multi-faceted and touches every part of a school site. Our team is committed to:

• Designing and constructing state-of-education buildings — with input from district educators, staff, parents, and the community — that supports the learning initiatives such as integrating new technology into classrooms for the success of our students and their future.
• Providing safe and secure campuses, especially during construction projects. We emphasize maintaining a safe environment for students, staff or visitors.
• Create environmentally-friendly spaces for students through sustainable initiatives such as outdoor learning spaces, energy and water efficiency programs, reducing waste, and the utilization of sustainable materials such as recycled flooring and carpet.

We have largely completed the projects funded by Measure BB, a $268 million bond passed by voters in 2006. The projects funded by Measure ES, a $385 million bond passed in 2012, are either completed or are under construction in Malibu and Santa Monica. Measure M, $195 million, specifically for Malibu schools, and Measure SMS, $485 million, specifically for Santa Monica schools, were overwhelmingly passed by voters in November 2018. We are planning for the new projects funded through these latest bonds. These projects feature the next phases of the Samohi Campus Plan and the master planning of the new Malibu Middle and High School campus. The bond program includes major improvements at the elementary and middle schools in Santa Monica and Malibu. Bond measure details.

The District adopted the Districtwide Plan for Sustainability on March 21, 2019. The plan defines what sustainability means to SMMUSD and provides a thorough pathway of how to get there. The plan is organized into eight categories: climate, solid waste, water, transportation, food, nutrition and wellness, energy and renewables, and education and engagement. Each category has specific implementation strategies and goals to be reached by the end of 2020, 2025 and 2030. The Sustainability Plan is the product of collaborative efforts between the District’s Board of Education, staff, educators, students, parents, and community members.

The FIP department is led by Carey Upton, Chief Operations Officer, who also oversees Maintenance & Operations and Facility Use. The bond construction program is managed by Steve Massetti, Bond Program Manager. The professional team of district staff and consultants support every aspect of the projects. There are Prop. 39 Citizens Oversight Committees for the separate bonds that ensures expenditures are in line with the voter-approved bond language. Facility direction is aided by Santa Monica and Malibu Facility District Advisory Committees comprised of community members, parents, staff and city staff, that are appointed by and provide advice to the Board of Education.