1. When do you anticipate starting construction?

Filing an application is only the first step in the lengthy review and approval process led by the City of Los Angeles. The start of construction is dependent upon the timing of the City’s review and approval process. We will share more as the process continues to unfold.

2. Assuming the upgrades receive approval from the City of Los Angeles, how long do you expect construction to take?

We estimate the heaviest phase of construction will last approximately 16 months with another 16 months of additional work to complete all of the upgrades. Construction activities will be sequenced to minimize the impact on our students and broader community. Unlike many residential projects in this area, all construction staging will take place on school grounds.

3. Overall, how much new square footage is being added to the JTD campus?

The proposed upgrades would result in a net increase of 15,434 square feet of new indoor building areas and 11,500 square feet of outdoor shaded areas which will be located above the existing lunch patio and new play area. This equates to a 26.9% increase of new building square footage.

4. What steps will the school take to minimize disruption on student learning and the neighborhood during construction?

We are committed to ensuring the construction impact on our students as well as our neighbors is as minimal as possible. We will be sequencing the construction activity on site and will maximize the summer break to ensure there is no interruption to student programming. For our neighbors, we have developed a comprehensive Construction Management Plan which addresses concerns related to traffic and noise. We will engage in active outreach to our school community and neighbors to ensure their thoughts and feedback are heard.

5. Is JTD anticipating an increase in enrollment as part of the upgrade?

No. The plan is not for the purpose of increasing enrollment, and we will not be increasing our current enrollment cap. We believe in our small class sizes and low student-teacher ratio and are committed to upholding these standards.

6. Can you share more about the limitations of the current classrooms, and what will be achieved by expanding them?

Through our 2022 strategic planning process and meeting with various constituencies, we identified areas of our campus that could be improved including expanding our lower school classroom space. In order to optimize the promise of our co-teaching model, our teachers will benefit from larger classroom spaces that embrace best practices for differentiated instruction. Our current lower school classrooms do not provide our teachers with enough space to work with students in small groups, often leading them to move outdoors or into other flex spaces. Having more space to work with students in small groups in the classroom not only ensures each student’s voice is heard, but also that our teachers’ needs are met, too.

7. Will you be renovating John Dye Hall?

For generations, John Dye Hall has been the heart of our campus and it will continue to play that vital role. We are not making any changes to the exterior of John Dye Hall, and it will remain the centerpiece of campus both as the tallest building and our community’s central gathering place. We remain committed to preserving this space for years to come. We intend on only making minor interior upgrades due to new code requirements to John Dye Hall, which will not alter the traditional character of the interior.

8. Are you protecting the main lawn area that is so important to the culture of the school?

Absolutely. At JTD, we are proud of our history and traditions and we are committed to preserving the spaces that are essential to our school culture. We have ensured our plans continue to feature the lawn as a central gathering spot where students will continue to begin their day together as have generations of JTD students before them.

9. Is the Kindergarten Campus part of the upgrade?

No. We focused the upgrades on the school’s highest priority needs. We love our kindergarten campus, and will continue to operate the kindergarten in its current form.

10. How will the reconfigured driveway impact the school’s drop-off and pickup process?

It won’t. We plan to keep the drop-off and pick up process the same. The new configuration creates space for a dedicated play area. Since 2005, JTD has run a robust bus program which has continued to expand its ridership each year and materially reduces the number of cars on Chalon Road. This year, nearly half of our student body, including 95% of kindergarten students, ride the bus. We expect this number to continue to grow in the future.