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Board votes to vacate Rustic Lane during multi‑year modernization, selecting interim housing at Pacific Avenue
Summary
The Jurupa Unified board approved administration's recommendation to vacate Rustic Lane Elementary and temporarily house students at Pacific Avenue Academy of Music during construction, citing shorter construction time and lower escalation despite community concerns about displacement, traffic and special‑needs supports.
The Jurupa Unified School District Board of Education on Feb. 17 voted to vacate Rustic Lane Elementary and temporarily relocate Rustic Lane students to Pacific Avenue Academy of Music (PAM) for the 2026–27 and 2027–28 school years while the district completes a modernization project.
Administration recommended Option 2, the vacated‑site approach, saying it would allow construction to proceed on an accelerated schedule with a projected completion in July 2028 instead of the longer timeline under an occupied‑campus plan. "Vacating Rustic Lane and installing interim housing at Pacific Avenue will be a significant lift at the beginning of the project," the district said in its presentation, but it noted that front‑loading construction reduces long‑term escalation and monthly project management costs.
Trustees and parents debated tradeoffs. Several parents who filed petitions asked the board to choose occupied modernization to avoid moving students, citing risks to students with special needs, disruptions to music programs and increased traffic in neighborhoods near PAM. "Removing Rustic Lane students from their school, even temporarily, could cause significant stress and anxiety," one parent said while presenting petitions asking the board to approve Option 1.
Board members pressed staff on safety and logistics. The district said portables, additional blacktop and adjusted play areas would be installed at PAM to create space for the combined student population (staff estimated an interim site population of roughly 800 students at peak) and that families living more than two miles from PAM would be eligible for transportation. Staff also said existing bell times are about 40 minutes apart, which could mitigate peak drop‑off overlap.
Trustees who supported vacating Rustic Lane emphasized the reduced construction timeline and the likelihood of fewer long‑term disruptions. Trustee Blinn, who moved for Option 2, said experience with protracted occupied‑campus projects showed prolonged noise, dust and operational complications. After discussion the board approved Option 2, with the motion passing 4–0 and one trustee absent.
The district said it will continue to prioritize student safety, communicate timelines and coordinate with families about transportation and program continuity as the project moves forward.
