Phase I of Lemonwood Elementary School Opens in Oxnard

OXFORD, Calif. — SVA Architects has helped re-envision an Oxford elementary school as a 21st century learning environment. The redesigned Lemonwood Elementary in Oxnard School District (OSD) celebrated its upgraded campus with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 2018 and showed off a new campus that now accommodates 900 K-8 students.

The $31.4 million project was underwritten by voter-approved Measure R, a California ballot measure in the November 2008 elections in Los Angeles County. The measure proposed a half-cent sales taxes increase on every dollar of taxable sales for 30 years in an effort to pay for infrastructure improvements and transportation projects.

Of note is the fact that the entire Lemonwood project was accomplished on a fully occupied campus with little disturbance to students and faculty, and zero need for an interim location. Construction was overseen by Swinerton Builders and with program manager Caldwell Flores Winters Inc. — both of which have offices in Los Angeles.

The first phase of construction included the main classroom and multipurpose buildings and will be followed by a more aggressive second phase that will see the construction of additional kindergarten classrooms and administration buildings. When it’s completed in 2019, the new nearly 10-acre campus will boast 28 classrooms, four kindergarten classroom, two special education classrooms, administration areas, a media center, food service, a multipurpose room and physical education spaces.

The improved campus will also see a retrofit of one of the existing campus’ larger buildings into a series of “flex rooms” for enhanced kindergarten, transitional kindergarten or preschool programs. There will also be three science/flex lab classrooms. In all, the Lemonwood Elementary School project represents a massive makeover for the campus, which was originally constructed in 1981 and has not been modernized since 2004. 

“Our district has engaged in a major transformation of our educational program and facilities,” said Dr. Cesar Morales, Oxnard School District Superintendent, in a statement. “These new facilities will support our efforts to provide a 21st century education to all our students.”

Founded 15 years ago in its home base of Santa Ana, Calif., SVA Architects has enjoyed a fruitful relationship with OSD. The firm also redesigned the school district’s Elm Elementary, a project currently under construction.

“We’re so pleased to continue our exceptional relationship with Oxnard School District, and provide updated educational facilities fitting for tomorrow’s thinkers and leaders,” said Robert Simons, AIA, President of SVA Architects in a statement.