Rivera K8 School is in a race against time

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- A construction project that will impact thousands of students is getting underway in the North Valley.

Rivera Middle School in Merced serves sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. But the rush is on to expand the campus to K through 8 by next year.

A lot of changes are coming to Rivera Middle School. A portable band room that stood for decades has been demolished to make space for a new 8,000 square foot building featuring six classrooms. Another will be built right behind it, and a third will go up where part of the blacktop basketball court is now. They're a key part of the elementary school that will soon share this property.

MCSD Facilities Director Ken Testa said, "In this area right here there will be kindergarten, first grade, second, through 5th grade kids going to classes, coming and going. We'll house another 450 kids at this campus in those grade levels."

The new facilities will serve children who live just across the street in Fahrens Park and the surrounding area. Right now they're bussed to four other elementary schools.

Testa said, "So our whole northwestern part of the campus is going to change to house the kids who live in the northwest part of our city, and we're excited about that."

Facilities Director Ken Testa says the plans are designed to keep the younger kids separated from seventh and eighth grade students through decorative fences and complimentary bell schedules. The work is all scheduled to be complete by next fall.

"So one year, we're kind of excited about it," said MCSD Associate Superintendent Greg Spicer. "We're finishing off the Measure S funds, there was about $6.7 million left in that to do a second school in that area, so it will pay for those three buildings."

Spicer says the new construction also serves another purpose. It will give the Merced City School District enough space to put all of its sixth grade students at elementary schools next year, instead of pushing its middle schools closer to capacity.

The plans also call for a new modular band room and some other improvements that will be paid for through Measure M bond money. The district hopes to get final approval to start building later this month.