South Campus Approaches Finish Line

The School has made tremendous strides in the completion of the South Campus since its ambitious expansion plan was approved by the Oakland City Council in September of 2023.

The expansion, located across the street from the School’s current campus, includes a drop-off loop, a parking lot, restored historical buildings for classroom and administration space, a maintenance building, an open space and a new commons space. 

The project is separated into three phases. Phase I and II are being completed now and include the drop-off loop, the parking lot, the classrooms, maintenance building, administration building, and the outdoor spaces. Phase III, which could feature a performing arts center and pedestrian tunnel, will require a new round of funding. Phases I and II are expected to be completed in April 2025, and the School is targeting a fall opening of the South Campus to the student body.

Although the project is progressing relatively smoothly, there have been some roadblocks for the construction team. Dylan Strangmeyer, the Project Manager of the South Campus Expansion, stated: “There’s just a lot of unforeseen conditions.” According to Strangmeyer and Sean Lavelle, the Project Superintendent, one difficulty is working around trees protected by the City of Oakland. Furthermore, because of the School’s dedication to preserving the space’s historical buildings, there have been some obstacles in constructing classrooms. Strangmeyer said, “We have a regular architect and a historic architect, so they have to agree on any changes before we can deviate from what the original building looked like.” 

Additionally, the construction team cannot start their public infrastructure work. Strangermeyer stated that this work includes “tightening our storm drain, and our sanitary sewer, and then installing new traffic signals all the way up Lincoln,” and that they have requested a permit from the City of Oakland but have not yet received word back.

Johnny Avots-Smith, the School’s director of advancement, is especially excited about the outdoor spaces the South Campus will provide. He said: “When Anna Head founded The Anna Head School for Girls, one of her big tenets was having outdoor education. And we don’t have a ton of space on the current campus, so here [on the South Campus] we’re going to get eight acres that we can use.” His favorite part of the campus is the “big beautiful deck” connected to building zero. From this deck, “you can see from the San Mateo Bridge all the way to both the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate Bridge,” making it a spectacular location for events, studying, or hanging out. Alicia Boulware, the School’s new Director of Leadership Giving, looks forward to using the restored historical building as a space “for folks to gather,” especially for alumni events.

The South Campus will not only better the experiences of the School’s students, but it will also have a positive impact on the local community. For instance, the drop-off loop and three upgraded traffic lights will replace Lincoln’s student drop off section, thereby reducing congestion. While many neighbors were hesitant about the expansion, the School is attempting to improve its impact on the community.

Overall, the project is going as planned and, barring any major setbacks, will be open to the student body in the fall of 2025. The majority of current high school students will have access to the South Campus for a portion of their high school experiences, and should make sure to take advantage of the exciting new spaces.