Otis Elementary Kids Move Out for a Two-Year Rebuild
Students head to a portable campus this summer while crews tear down the old building and start fresh.
By The Alameda Pulse
Otis Elementary students are packing up. The school is moving to a temporary campus this summer so crews can tear down the old building and put up a new one, with a two year construction timeline that won't wrap until summer 2028.
Where Otis Students Are Headed
Alameda Unified School District says students will spend the 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years at a portable classroom campus on the former Lum Elementary School site at 1801 Sandcreek Road. It's not a permanent move, it's a stopgap while the real work happens back at Otis.
What Happens to the Old Building
Here's the rough timeline AUSD has laid out:
- June to July 2026: the move to the temporary campus
- Summer 2026: demolition of the existing Otis building
- Fall 2026: construction begins
- Summer 2028: the new campus is done
The project still needs sign off from a few state agencies before crews can break ground. It's currently under review by the Department of State Architect, and it still needs approvals from the California Geological Survey and the Department of Toxic Substances Control.
Why It's Taking So Long
A full school rebuild isn't quick, and this one has been in the works for a while. The design itself, a new administrative building and media center, a two story classroom building, and an academic quad, got the Board of Education's sign off back in September 2024 after six meetings with the site design team.
The project falls under AUSD's Measure B bond program, the same funding source behind other district construction work happening around Alameda right now. That's the tradeoff with bond-funded rebuilds: the money is there, but the state review process still has to run its course before shovels hit the ground.
For families, that means two full school years in temporary classrooms before the new Otis opens. It's a real disruption now, but it's the tradeoff for a rebuilt campus with better accessibility and updated playground structures when it's finished.
The Bottom Line for Families
If your kids go to Otis, expect the portable campus at 1801 Sandcreek Road to be home base through spring 2028. The district hasn't announced an exact reopening date beyond "summer 2028," so it's worth keeping an eye on AUSD's updates as the project moves along.
