The construction of additional elementary school facilities is underway in Hilmar. Over 15 acres of land sitting between Hilmar High School and Elim Elementary School will play host to six new buildings to house a total of 25 classrooms, a library, an administrative office, an outdoor amphitheater area and a number of recreational areas including hardcourts and playground structures for younger aged elementary students within HUSD.
The new elementary school campus will provide instruction for TK through 2nd grades and will have capacity for up to 600 students. Once the project is completed, which is expected by spring 2023, existing TK through 2nd grade students will relocate from Elim to the new elementary site, leaving Elim Elementary with 3rd through 5th grades. To accommodate the students at each site, both campuses are anticipated to have a maximum of 60 staff members. Per the Hilmar Unified School District, some staff will be shared between the two campuses.
In terms of the operational schedule, the campuses would be in regular session on weekdays from late August to early June. Each of the sites will be allowed to host special events and classes during evenings, on weekends and during the summer recess.
In addition to the construction of the new facilities, modifications to Elim Elementary will also be taking place. One of the main modifications will be the reorienting of the “front” of Elim Elementary. Instead of its existing front off Lander Avenue (State Route 165), there will be a new interior access area. And like the future elementary site, a new administration building will be built at Elim.
New driveways from Geer Avenue will serve as the main access to both elementary schools once construction and modifications are completed. A new parking lot, which will include designated vehicle and bus drop-off areas for each site, will also be developed along the eastern portion of the new elementary school campus.
The project is being funded through the Measure G Bond Issue that residents voted on in November 2018. The measure, which passed with 61.17% of the vote, allowed HUSD to issue $31 million in bonds with an estimated tax rate of 6 cents per $100 of assessed value to build the new school. Conceptual plans of the new elementary site were presented to HUSD parents and campus community members in January 2021.
