Alternative School Set to Expand Onto Adjacent Campus
The former Hale Elementary School in Pasadena will reopen in the fall, part of an expansion of the adjacent Norma Coombs Alternative School.
The school board’s recent decision allows Norma Coombs to begin planning for increasing its enrollment and expanding its programs, said Coombs Principal Susan Williams. A committee will be formed next week to design a three-year expansion plan, she said.
Coombs houses its 250 kindergartners through eighth-graders in 13 portable
classrooms. The old Hale campus has 16 classrooms, a cafeteria, auditorium and office space.
The expansion will give the Coombs school 31 classrooms and capacity for 850 students, Williams said.
The school board’s estimated cost to upgrade the former elementary school is about $518,500. Most of the funding will come from Measure Y, the $240-million school bond approved by city voters in November.
The district plans to take over the Hale building, which is being leased by the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, in July.
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