Building Tomorrow's Future

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is excited to share the successful passage of Bond Measure QS for Santa Monica in November 2024. The District is grateful to the community for their overwhelming support and trust in this initiative. The funding represents a significant investment in the future of our students and families, allowing us to move forward with the much-anticipated renovation of the 500's building.

Modernization of the Lincoln 500's building will commence as soon as school concludes in June 2025.

Originally constructed in 1958 as an industrial shop building at Lincoln Middle School, building 500 needs a complete renovation. The building lacks air conditioning, appropriate ventilation and the classrooms no longer serves future-ready leaners. Phase 1 of the proposed renovation aims to rejuvenate and convert the 500's building into an eighth-grade hub with a curriculum centered on project-based learning. While there are no plans to expand the buildings envelope, the interiors will be re-imagined to engage and challenge students.

Classes in the 500's building will be temporality moved to existing unoccupied rooms on campus for the duration of construction. The teachers met with the principal to determine their exact classroom locations.

The plans have been approved by the Division of the State Architect. Erickson-Hall construction has been selected to complete the modernization project. The building is projected to be open in January 2027.

The classrooms will vary in size, with many exceeding more than 1,200 square feet, and all will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, collaborative spaces and storage. Additionally, a new 2,500 square foot innovation lab with separate workshops will provide areas for exploration and discovery. The building and all its systems need a complete overhaul. To enhance natural lighting and ventilation, new windows and doors will be installed, and updated mechanical systems will ensure efficient heating and cooling.

The existing covered walkway will be removed to create a more expansive and interconnected indoor-outdoor environment. Furthermore, the roof overhang will be extended to offer shelter from the elements and contribute to the building's new identity and character. Additionally, the exterior courtyard will undergo revitalization, designed to facilitate outdoor learning with enhanced landscaping and seating areas. The goal is to create a safe, adaptable, technologically advanced, and state-of-the-art facility for both students and educators.

Construction on a working campus always presents challenges, but the SMMUSD Facility Improvement Projects Department is committed to minimizing disruptions for students and staff while ensuring these enhancements benefit generations to come.

Learn more about the newly modernized 500's building here.

The future is bright for Lincoln and with the community’s support the sky is the limit!

"A school building is more than a physical structure providing housing, light, heat, and shelter from the elements; it is the one expression of the community’s commitment to education. " -Donald Leu