After a decade of planning, the wait is finally over. The new Dinuba High School campus is set to launch on January 13, 2025, marking a major milestone in Dinuba’s history.
The new school site is the result of two years of hard work and dedication from the Dinuba City Council, Dinuba Unified School District, and Dinuba High School administration. PBK Architects, a firm that specializes in modern school designs, and Bush Construction are overseeing the project. The new school site is a significant event for the community. It represents a major investment in the future of Dinuba´s students and will provide them with the resources they need for learning.
As the 2024-2025 school year progresses, questions about this transition abound. For students and staff alike, the move to the new Dinuba High School is one of the most talked about subjects on campus.
When Are We Moving?
The new high school will open for students on January 13, 2025, following the winter break. Teachers and staff will unpack classrooms on the new campus beginning January 9th. According to DHS principal, Andrew Popp and DHS science teacher and Transition Coordinator, Adam Guidi, the contractors are on schedule to meet the transition deadline for January.
The project has been in the works for several years. Mr. Popp shared that when he was first hired as principal six years ago, he was made aware of the blueprint plans for the new campus. Groundbreaking was on April 5, 2022, and construction formally began in May 2022. The new DHS site will be sixty-six acres and able to accommodate about 2,800 students. In comparison, the current DHS site covers twenty-seven acres, with 2,200 students enrolled.
“We’ve outgrown this place. Dinuba is growing, the Central Valley is growing, and with the extra space at the new campus, we have room to grow,” Mr. Guidi stated. The new school grounds leave room to expand with Dinuba High School’s ever-increasing student population.
The transition will occur in three phases. Phase one begins with moving current classes into the new site classroom buildings. Phase two includes plans for an athletic stadium, a second gym, and a Visual and Performing Arts Center (VAPA). Phase three will finish everything that hasn’t been completed yet such as an aquatics center, and further agricultural areas. Time schedules for phases two and three still need to be set. The first phase of construction cost more than $100 million, so it may be a while before all three phases are fully complete.
According to Mr. Popp, the old DHS campus will be turned into a new middle school with Washington Intermediate School becoming a new elementary school building. The turnaround for that transition is unknown at this time. Initially, the current DHS campus will still be in use for events such as sports and possibly drama performances. Graduations for DHS seniors will commence at the Claude Hebert Stadium until a new one can be built.
Mr. Popp is especially proud and excited about the new high school stating that the new school is a “monumental point, not just in the school’s history, but the community’s history.”
What Will the New Campus Offer?
The facilities on the new campus will include two two-story wings: one for social sciences and English Language Arts (ELA), and the other for math and science. There will also be four Career Technical Education (CTE) buildings for the Medical Academy, the Engineering and Construction Management Academy, the Systems Diagnostic, Service, and Repairs Department (Auto), as well as the Agriculture & Natural Resources Pathway, which will include a welding shop with twenty-eight welding booths.
“We are incredibly excited about this process,” Mr. Popp stated. “The facilities will be state of the art.”
Another major addition will be the Student Union. This wing will provide a food court and a cafeteria which was designed to be a comfortable space for students to eat on campus. The Culinary Arts classes will be housed there as well. Students will be able to spend their free time in the expanded library and media center, a space that will provide a suitable environment in which to study.
While the plans do not currently have a dedicated building for NJROTC, advocates support the addition of one. On this subject, Mr. Popp stated, “The good thing is that there’s space. The issue is just trying to figure out where the things are going to go with that space.” Mr. Guidi added that concerning NJROTC, “the issue is that we don’t know where the unit is going to put their uniforms and armory. That is why I am also advocating for the NJ unit to get a second building to place their storage.” Until this is worked out, the unit may have to stay at the current NJ building.
The campus layout was created to be easier for students to navigate. Core classes will be closer to each other. Administrators will be in one building instead of being separated as it is now. The agricultural department will be receiving a larger farm space of five acres. Mr. Guidi stated he may make an app to help students find their classes so they won’t get lost on the first day at the new campus.
Issues and Delays
Even with a targeted start date for the new campus, there is still the possibility of that date facing another delay.
One of the biggest issues regarding the new campus is electricity. Mr. Guidi explained that the school grounds have no electricity in place as of yet. This is due to logistical issues involving the electric company, PGE, and irrigation. There have been questions about where to place the electrical units so that they will not affect the irrigation systems in the surrounding area. As of this writing, they have a timeframe for the end of September for electricity to finally be implemented in the school’s buildings. Whether or not the campus receives electricity by this time is the largest factor in determining the ability to transfer students and staff into the new campus as the school cannot function without power. For the past few months, Bush Construction has been using generators to operate their equipment.
Another issue with the new school’s grounds is that there is no landscaping in place yet. This means that there is the possibility that on opening day the land surrounding the campus will be barren with no greenery, though it will not affect the ability to transfer.
“There’s a lot to be done between now and then,” Mr. Guidi admitted.
Other issues involve logistics. While the new campus will have a new gym, practice field, and a track for sports, athlete teams will have to go back and forth between the old and new high schools for their training and games. This ties in with another problem: adequate storage. “One of the biggest issues is space,” said Mr. Guidi. As well as having to go back to the old high school for practice, the old high school will have to store the athletic equipment for the time being.
Despite the anxiety about the opening date and further delays, both Mr. Guidi and Mr. Popp are optimistic that the move will stay on target.
“I have no reason to believe we aren’t moving,” said Principal Popp, adding, “as of [our last] transition team meeting, yes, we’re still on track for the move.”
“Dreams Begin Here”
Mr. Popp is extremely enthusiastic about the move, even getting emotional when asked what it meant to him. On the wall of Mr. Popp’s office, is a plaque that states “Dreams begin here.” This is how he feels about the prospects and opportunities of the new high school. He believes that students will be able to have great experiences there and is “extremely excited” about what is to come. Mr. Popp feels every student deserves the best and it’s an opportunity for all, current students and incoming.
The anticipation is high for the new school campus with the second semester on the horizon. The clock is ticking for Dinuba as it has its eyes set on the January 13, 2025 opening date.
