District Picks Team to Rebuild San Rafael Elementary
Pasadena Unified selected KEMP Bros. Construction and LPA Design Studios to replace the West Pasadena campus, with construction expected in summer 2027.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Administration
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Pasadena Unified School District has selected KEMP Bros. Construction, Inc. and LPA Design Studios to design and rebuild San Rafael Elementary School in West Pasadena. Students and staff will move to Allendale Elementary School for about two years during reconstruction.
Why it matters
The Board of Education authorized a full rebuild rather than a partial modernization, a decision that will relocate the school's community for roughly two years. The design-build approach places one team in charge of the project from initial designs through construction.
The school is located at 1090 Nithsdale Road and students will relocate to Allendale Elementary at 1135 S. Euclid Ave. The Board of Education's April 23 decision authorized a full rebuild, and the district has not yet released a final construction contract amount.
The players
Pasadena Unified School District
The public school district that selected the design-build team and is rebuilding the campus through its bond program.
KEMP Bros. Construction, Inc.
A construction firm selected by the district to participate in the design-build rebuild of San Rafael Elementary.
LPA Design Studios
A design firm selected alongside KEMP Bros. to create the plans for the replacement campus.
The details
Under a design-build arrangement approved by the board, KEMP Bros. and LPA Design Studios will carry the project from design through construction. The district previously invited San Rafael families, employees, neighbors and community partners to a September workshop on school planning and design ideas, and it said design plans will be released in the coming months.
Timeline
April 23, 2026: Board authorized a full rebuild instead of a partial modernization.
September 2026: District held a workshop on San Rafael planning and design.
October 22, 2026: Board agenda listed a preliminary design-build award to KEMP Bros.
October 29, 2026: District announced the team selection in its fall bond projects newsletter.
Summer 2027: Construction is expected to begin and students move to Allendale.
Season Trajectory
The San Rafael decision follows the district's bond-funded campus projects, extending that program from incremental upgrades to a full replacement of an existing school. Choosing a full rebuild over partial modernization marks a larger commitment to the West Pasadena campus than the earlier bond work.
Families of San Rafael students should expect their children to attend Allendale Elementary for about two years while the campus is rebuilt. Parents can watch for the design plans the district has promised to release in the coming months.
The takeaway
A full rebuild means the San Rafael community will spend roughly two years at a temporary campus, so families planning around the move should follow the district's upcoming design releases closely.
What happens next
Pasadena Unified said it will release design plans and its vision for the replacement campus in the coming months, and construction is expected to begin in summer 2027.
Further reading
Read more in Administration coverage of how districts like Pasadena Unified manage campus rebuild decisions.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Pasadena Now.
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