Parents press board to expand Carmel Del Mar multipurpose room instead of altering library

A months-long modernization plan for Carmel Del Mar School drew sharp pushback from parents and PTA leaders Thursday, who pressed the Del Mar Union School District to prioritize enlarging the school's multipurpose room rather than converting the library into a combined “library/innovation center.”

Parents said the existing multipurpose room is regularly over capacity for school performances and community events and described safety and accessibility problems. The district’s design team presented cost estimates showing that a full expansion of the MUR with associated seismic and structural work would add roughly $3 million to $5 million to the project budget, while a renovation that raises the library floor to create an adjacent library/innovation center would add about $1.4 million.

District staff and HMC Architects reviewed three cost options from the Facilities Master Plan: (a) complete modernization limited to classrooms, building envelope, site work and a modest MUR renovation (estimated ~$10 million hard-cost remaining); (b) adding a larger MUR expansion and associated structural work (adding ~$3–5 million); and (c) a larger scheme that raises the library floor and creates an indoor–outdoor “library innovation” space in place of the current sunken library area (about $1.4 million for the library work alone, with additional site and circulation costs). Chris Delaney, district project lead, told the board the roofing and HVAC work on the campus also requires attention and that deferring those repairs would likely force costly piecemeal fixes later.

At the community meeting and during public comments before the board Thursday night, parents repeatedly said they prefer using funds to expand the MUR — which they say is too small for school performances, talent shows and science fairs — rather than changing the library’s configuration. Multiple parents reported safety concerns after recent events appeared to exceed published occupancy limits; several asked the district to confirm the MUR’s certified capacity and to post the figure publicly. District staff acknowledged a need to verify capacity numbers and said architects would provide a validated seating/egress analysis.

District staff said the school was originally designed for three sections per grade and that modernization work focused first on learning spaces (classrooms and STEAM studios) and on infrastructure (roofing, HVAC, ADA path of travel). Several parents and PTA leaders countered that because Carmel Del Mar will remain one of the district’s largest enrollment sites for the foreseeable future, the board should reallocate project funds to enlarge the MUR now rather than pursue an innovative-library design.

The board did not make a final decision on Carmel Del Mar’s plan at the meeting. Staff said they would return with clarified capacity numbers, final validated cost estimates and options showing what could be achieved within the available bond budget. Trustees asked staff to prioritize safety-related items — ADA paths of travel, restrooms and site work — and to provide detailed alternatives for accomplishing some form of MUR expansion within the presented budget.

Several parents asked that the district examine deferring some work or drawing from other district reserves to fund MUR expansion rather than delaying roof/HVAC replacement; staff warned that deferring roofing work now could increase future costs and risk classroom disruptions.

The board requested additional, sharper cost estimates and a clear list of trade-offs so trustees could consider alternatives at an upcoming meeting.

Ending: Trustees told community members they had heard the message to prioritize safety and capacity concerns and that staff would bring revised options and verified occupancy information to a subsequent board discussion.