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Superintendent Scott Lair outlines Center Joint Unified plan for new schools and campus improvements
Summary
In a student-hosted broadcast, Superintendent Scott Lair said Center Joint Unified recently opened Rex Fortune Elementary and plans for a full build-out that would include 14 elementary schools, four middle schools, a continuation high school and two comprehensive high schools; he said the next elementary could open in about three years.
Superintendent Scott Lair told a student-hosted Oak Hill Elementary broadcast that Center Joint Unified is advancing a multi-year plan to add schools and upgrade existing campuses.
Lair said the district currently operates eight schools, including the newly opened Rex Fortune Elementary in the Roseville area, and has mapped sites for future campuses. "When we're totally built out we'll have 14 elementaries," he said, adding the district also plans for four middle schools, a continuation high school and two comprehensive high schools, including the existing Center High School and another planned campus.
The superintendent said staff have started the process to purchase property for the next elementary near Rex Fortune and estimated that new school could open in about three years. He linked the expansion to local housing growth, saying the district is building where new homes and families are moving into the district.
Lair also emphasized that the district is investing in its existing facilities. He pointed to recent improvements at Oak Hill — including a painted quad and other campus updates — as examples of ongoing maintenance and capital work intended to benefit current students while new construction proceeds.
Why it matters: The plan signals a multi-year capital program that will require land acquisition, site development and future construction. Lair characterized the work as already underway in planning and property purchase, and framed the expansion as a response to population growth in parts of the district.
What remains unspecified: Lair provided counts of existing and planned schools and an approximate opening timeline for the next elementary, but he did not give a detailed financing plan, exact site addresses, funding sources, or a firm construction schedule. He also said parts of the district geography (named roads and neighborhoods) will be served by the new campuses but did not supply final boundaries.
The broadcast: The remarks came during a short student-produced update on the Otter Outlook program at Oak Hill Elementary. The superintendent said the district will also expand superintendent video messages and visit school SEVA studios to showcase student media projects as part of outreach to families.
Next steps: Lair said staff have begun property purchase steps for the next elementary; he did not specify a formal school board action or budget vote during the broadcast. The district did not announce a construction contract, funding source, or exact site address on the program.
