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, moving the planned campus replacement into its next phase.
According to the district’s fall bond projects newsletter issued Thursday, Oct. 29, the Board of Education has approved the team under a design-build arrangement.
Construction is expected to begin in summer 2027, when San Rafael students and staff are scheduled to move to Allendale Elementary School for approximately two years while their campus is rebuilt.
Under the design-build approach, one team is responsible for carrying the project from initial designs through construction. The district did not announce a more specific construction start date in its update.
The selection follows the board’s April 23 decision to authorize a full rebuild rather than a partial modernization. Trustees considered postponing the vote until the district’s school consolidation discussions progressed further, but a motion to delay failed and the rebuild was approved.
The board’s Oct. 22 agenda listed a preliminary design-build services award to KEMP Bros. under Board Report 2030-F. That agenda item concerned preliminary services; the district’s latest announcement did not specify a final construction contract amount.
San Rafael is located at 1090 Nithsdale Road. Allendale, at 1135 S. Euclid Ave. in Pasadena, is serving as Longfellow Magnet School’s temporary campus during its own modernization project in the 2026-27 school year.
The planned relocation means San Rafael students and employees would attend and work at another district campus during construction. The district has not yet provided a detailed calendar for San Rafael’s transfer to Allendale or a specific return date.
The rebuild is part of the district’s wider program of school construction and renovations. The district previously invited San Rafael families, employees, neighbors and community partners to a September workshop on school planning and design ideas.
In the coming months, Pasadena Unified said it will release design plans and its vision for the replacement campus. The district also plans further opportunities for families, staff and nearby residents to review proposals and contribute ideas, although dates for those sessions have not been announced.
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