San Rafael Students Move to Allendale for Two Years
Families at San Rafael Elementary should plan for a roughly two-year relocation while KEMP Bros. and LPA rebuild the campus.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Administration
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Pasadena Unified School District has selected KEMP Bros. Construction, Inc. and LPA Design Studios to design and rebuild San Rafael Elementary School in West Pasadena. Students and staff are scheduled to move to Allendale Elementary School for approximately two years while the campus is rebuilt.
Why it matters
The Board of Education's April 23 decision authorized a full rebuild rather than a partial modernization, so families at San Rafael face a multi-year relocation rather than phased work on-site. For Pasadena households with children at San Rafael, the change affects daily commutes, after-school routines and the timing of school-year transitions.
Pasadena Unified selected KEMP Bros. Construction, Inc. and LPA Design Studios under a design-build arrangement for the San Rafael rebuild. The team was approved through a preliminary design-build services award listed under Board Report 2030-F, and no final contract amount has been published.
The players
Pasadena Unified School District
The public school district serving Pasadena, responsible for the district's campuses and bond-funded school construction projects.
KEMP Bros. Construction, Inc.
A construction firm selected as part of the design-build team to rebuild San Rafael Elementary School.
LPA Design Studios
A design firm selected alongside KEMP Bros. to design the replacement San Rafael campus.
The details
Under a design-build approach, one team carries the project from initial designs through construction, which can shorten coordination between planning and building. The district previously invited San Rafael families, employees, neighbors and community partners to a September workshop on school planning and design ideas. Allendale Elementary, at 1135 S. Euclid Ave., is serving as Longfellow Magnet School's temporary campus during its own 2026-27 modernization.
Timeline
April 23, 2026: Board authorized a full rebuild instead of a partial modernization.
September 2026: District held a workshop on San Rafael school planning and design.
October 22, 2026: Board agenda listed a preliminary design-build award to KEMP Bros.
October 29, 2026: District issued its fall bond projects newsletter announcing the team selection.
Summer 2027: Construction is expected to begin and students move to Allendale.
The Home Front
The San Rafael decision reflects a choice between full rebuilds and partial modernizations within Pasadena Unified's bond-funded campus program. For West Pasadena families, the outcome shapes neighborhood school capacity and the timing of construction-related disruption over the next several years.
If your child attends San Rafael, plan for a relocation to Allendale for roughly two years and ask the district about transportation and before- and after-school arrangements at the new site. Watch for the upcoming design plans and any published contract amount before making decisions about school transfers or local childcare.
The takeaway
Families at San Rafael should expect a two-year move to Allendale and track the design plans the district will release in the coming months. Keep the school's address, 1090 Nithsdale Road, and the Allendale address, 1135 S. Euclid Ave., on hand for transportation planning.
What happens next
Pasadena Unified said it will release design plans and its vision for the replacement San Rafael campus in the coming months, and construction is expected to begin in summer 2027.
Further reading
Explore more on Administration to see how district leadership shapes school construction decisions.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Pasadena Now.
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