The new school year marked a big milestone for the Los Alamitos Unified School District and its only high school, as students were able to enjoy the campus’ new three-story STEM building.
Los Alamitos High School’s newest building is a 86,528-square-foot structure. It was built to include 30 classrooms dedicated to supporting modern, high-quality instruction in science, technology, engineering and math. Between the learning spaces, teachers have rooms where they can meet and collaborate.
The ground floor of the building features a specialized career technical education fabrication lab for manufacturing, engineering and robotics, the college and career center, a student media center, and a state-of-the art computer lab.
“This building is like a one-stop shop for our students and families,” said Principal Christiana Kraus. “Everything that a student or parent would need is housed here.”
The new STEM building was built from the ground up, replacing multiple old and dilapidated portable structures.
The funding for this building was made possible through the passage of Measure G, which was on the November 2018 ballot. It received the support of more than 55 percent of registered voters in the district, which includes Los Alamitos, Rossmoor, Seal Beach and portions of Cypress, Long Beach and Huntington Beach.
“We are grateful for the planning and commitment by this community, who have made dreams come true for our well-deserving students and staff,” said Dr. Andrew Pulver, superintendent of the Los Alamitos Unified School District. “Reaching a major milestone can only be achieved through incredible teamwork. I’m honored to work alongside a visionary board, an innovative staff and a generous community.”
The passing of the measure allows the district to keep up with 21st-century learning standards and ensure that students can compete for high-demand jobs in science, engineering and skilled trades.
“I hope that our students in the future realize that they really got a leg up with the resources and experiences they had in this building,” said Principal Kraus.
While the STEM building is located on the campus, district leaders believe it truly belongs to the community because the facility would not exist without them.