By Francis Taylor, Executive Editor
Inglewood Unified School District (IUSD) Board Members, City of Inglewood elected officials, along with Inglewood High School faculty, staff and students, and a bevy of community members celebrated at the ground-breaking of a full campus reconstruction of Inglewood High School (IHS). With an overall budget of approximately $240 million, funded mostly through bond proceeds from Measure I, the transformational project marks a bold investment in the future of Inglewood students and a powerful commitment to enhancing student learning, innovation and achievement.
The construction project, anticipated to be completed by December 2027, is the result of a collaborative process involving students, staff, alumni, and other community members. The new campus design features flexible learning spaces, STEM laboratories, technology-integrated classrooms, arts and performance venues, and athletic facilities, all built to foster critical thinking, creativity and adaptability. While construction is underway, students will attend Morningside HIgh School, scheduled to be demolished when the construction of the new school is completed.
IHS Principal, Dr. Lamar Collins said, “We are here to celebrate the project and I am also here to focus on what will be happening inside the buildings as we help students earn an Associate College Diploma or receive certificates in a broad range of disciplines.”
Bernadette Lucas, Assistant Superintendent added, “the school will have flexible learning spaces, much like a college environment, as the students pass through multiple buildings. The students will also have three career pathways to choose from including medical studies, media and entertainment and early college preparation.”
Building 1 will feature the main campus entrance, administrative offices, staff lounge, health center, 19 classrooms and flexible student collaboration areas. Building 2 will feature the multi-purpose room, kitchen and food service, shaded outdoor dining area and staff dining room. Building 3A will feature general science labs, chemistry labs, flexible arts classroom, science work rooms, and art workroom. Building 3B will feature 12 classrooms, a teacher workroom, resource specialist rooms and flexible student collaboration areas. Building 4 will feature an associated student body room, dream center, career center, JROTC Room and student store.
Building 5 will feature a physical therapy and sports medicine training room, patient care classroom anatomy lab, engineering computer lab, robotics arena, 4 classrooms, and a resource specialist room. Building 6 will feature the band, choir and orchestra area, digital music and sound recording lab, film and broadcasting lab, animation lab and modeling room, graphic media lab, E-sports and a general classroom. It is significant to note that there will be an above ground walkway from the new high school to the INglewood Public Library which is also undergoing a major facelift.
Mayor James T. Butts, after acknowledging all of the City of Inglewood Council Members who were present for the ground-breaking, offered a very positive comment about Dr. James Morris, County Administrator, indicating that his vision as an administrator and businessman has contributed to the positive design and development of the new Inglewood High School. He also said that he wants Inglewood elected officials to be a support system for the IUSD and as we support the Inglewood Public Library renovation, he hopes that Inglewood will become known as the City of Knowledge.
Finally, Mayor Butts cited many of the positive developments the City of Inglewood has recently experienced and said that the New Inglewood High School is the last piece of the renovation of Inglewood.
(Photos by Kenneth Miller)
