Woodland Hills announces short delay to Edgewood renovation; schools will open with contingency plans

Woodland Hills School District administrators announced on Aug. 13 that finishing work on the Edgewood renovation will not be complete before the start of the school year and described contingency plans for students and staff.

District officials said the delay affects final cleaning, lockers and some auditorium seating but that transportation and key start-of-year events have been rescheduled. A district staff member said, “No. We’re good for September 2. We clarified with facilities director, with the contractor. It’s just those last little pieces of cleanup. We want to make sure there’s no dust there. Kids are safe. Staff is safe.”

The district provided a short calendar of adjustments. Pre-K and kindergarten orientation will be held Aug. 28 (pre-K 11 a.m.–12 p.m.; kindergarten 10–11 a.m.), transportation will be provided for kindergarten, and the district plans a half-day clerical day on Aug. 29. The first full day for all students is scheduled for Sept. 2. The previously planned open house will be moved to Oct. 30; some lockers are not expected until Oct. 2, and auditorium seating is expected in September, the district said. The district also stated it has confirmed the district will meet required instructional hours, citing an overall total of 1,035 hours as meeting state requirements.

Why it matters: administrators said the decision is to ensure a safe, finished building for students and staff rather than opening before final cleanup and installations are complete. Board and staff members said they will run a communication effort—robocalls, email and social media—to notify families of schedule changes and any contingency plans. A parent who called in during public comment asked specifically whether the district had considered short-term homeschooling with Chromebook distribution; a district staff member invited the parent to a follow-up call to discuss contingencies.

Support and scrutiny: board members and meeting attendees thanked facilities staff, principals and external partners for their work on the renovation and for hosting recent leadership retreats. At the same time, at least one board member and public speakers urged more advance planning and public engagement when projects run on tight timelines. In public comment, one resident said the delay will be a burden on families and urged the district to involve stakeholders earlier on future projects.

What’s next: the district said it will finalize communications to families the following day and continue daily walk-throughs with the superintendent’s team and facilities staff until the Edgewood site is cleared for occupancy. No formal vote or change to the academic calendar was recorded at the Aug. 13 agenda-setting meeting.