An elementary school in Desert Hot Springs will soon undergo a $105 million transformation that will replace its aging buildings and remake much of its early 1990s campus. Construction at Bubbling Wells Elementary could begin in early 2027 and take until 2030, although some of the new buildings will be ready in 2028.
It's among the largest of many renovations underway or planned at Palm Springs Unified schools around the western Coachella Valley.
The modernization will be funded by Measure S, the $465 million bond measure voters living within the boundaries of Palm Springs Unified School District approved in 2024. The first series of funding from the bond measure is also expected to cover the completion of renovations at Cathedral City High School and
improvements at Desert Hot Springs High School.
The district initially budgeted around $90 million for Bubbling Wells Elementary in 2024. Since then, construction costs have increased by an estimated $11 million, contributing to a new total estimate of about $105 million.
Some details of the project are still being refined, with changes already made and more possible before construction starts in January, according to Joan Boiko, the district's public information officer.
The need for major upgrades at Bubbling Wells was identified nearly a decade ago, when a facilities assessment found most of the school's buildings were in poor condition and that failing systems made upgrades or replacements a high priority.
More recently, during an Aug. 11 school board study session, an architect pointed to three existing conditions that add a few "layers of complexity" to the project: deteriorating metal modular buildings with failing metal panels, water intrusion and energy problems; a roughly 10-foot retaining wall that makes it harder to create accessible paths across the campus; and an old septic system on part of the school.
Bubbling Wells Elementary, designed by modernist architect Donald Wexler, opened in 1992 with 19 classrooms. Its architecture, however, dates to an earlier era, with similar Wexler-designed schools across the Coachella Valley going back to the 1970s.
As student enrollment grew, the school added 21 portable classrooms between 1993 and 2008. The opening of Cabot Yerxa Elementary in 2009 helped relieve overcrowding at Bubbling Wells, which now serves about 600 students.
What's changing at Bubbling Wells Elementary
The modernization will replace several aging buildings with four new permanent ones and overhaul other parts of the elementary school.
One will be a two-story building with two special education classrooms, two transitional kindergarten classrooms and four kindergarten classrooms on the first floor, as well as 10 fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms on the second floor. A kindergarten playground is also planned, but some features could be scaled back to reduce costs.
Another one-story building will include eight classrooms for second- and third-graders, a STEAM classroom, a special education classroom and a new library.
Two smaller one-story buildings will include a wellness room and two first-grade classrooms. A separate smaller building will house a music classroom.
The administration building will undergo extensive renovations, including a large covered walkway at the main entrance. In the multipurpose room, the kitchen will be rebuilt. A new lunch shelter is also planned to better protect students from strong winds.
Two existing classrooms will be converted into flexible-use space for indoor physical education. The 10-foot retaining wall will also be removed.
Construction could begin as soon as January 2027, with the first new buildings expected to be ready by July 2028. The entire project, however, will take about three years to complete.
Work will begin on the west side of Bubbling Wells Elementary, away from most existing classrooms, which should keep construction from affecting the main campus for about the first year and a half.
Other major PSUSD school renovations underway
Bubbling Wells is far from the only campus across Palm Springs Unified getting major work done. Many of the schools currently under construction were built in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In California, permanent school buildings generally become eligible for state modernization funding after 25 years, allowing districts to pair state money with local funds to stretch those dollars further.
Some of the work at Cathedral City High School is being paid for with the voter-approved Measure S, while others are being funded through other sources.
Here's where five of those modernization projects stand:
Della S. Lindley Elementary School
Della S. Lindley Elementary School, at 31-495 Robert Road in Thousand Palms, is nearing the end of a multiyear renovation that began in 2023 and is expected to wrap up this fall.
- What's being done: The five-phase project includes upgrades to classrooms, the administration office, library, kitchen and multipurpose room, along with HVAC, utility and other building improvements. The school's original building was built in 1987. Additional classroom buildings were added in 2001 and 2005.
- Where things stand: The school's second story remains under construction and fenced off from students and staff while work continues.
James Workman Middle School
James Workman Middle School, 69-300 30th Ave. in Cathedral City, has been undergoing a campus modernization since 2023, with work expected to continue into winter 2027. The school was built in 1993.
- What's being done: The project includes replacing portable and modular classrooms with permanent buildings and renovating existing classrooms, offices, the kitchen, locker rooms and other parts of the campus. Plans also include improvements to student and bus loading areas and a new stretch of roadway immediately north of the school.
- Where things stand: A month into the school year, James Workman is still partly under construction. The renovated main office has reopened, and work on the locker rooms was expected to wrap up around the end of August. Work on the band and music rooms, science building, sixth-grade quad and kitchen will stretch through the fall, with students getting their meals from a temporary kitchen in the meantime.
Sunny Sands Elementary School
Sunny Sands Elementary, 69-310 McCallum Way in Cathedral City, is in its third year of a major campus renovation that began in December 2023. The school was built in 1989.
- What's being done: Sunny Sands has added a new two-story building with 24 classrooms and replaced its administration offices, library and 14 other classrooms. The modernization also includes renovations to the multipurpose room and kitchen and a new kindergarten playground.
- Where things stand: At the start of the school year in August, students returned to a new administration building, new classrooms and a new kindergarten playground. The multipurpose room is expected to be finished in September, while work on the play field area will continue into the fall as new grass grows in.
Landau Elementary School
Built in 1988, Landau Elementary, 30-310 Landau Blvd. in Cathedral City, is approaching the end of roughly three years of construction that has replaced portable and modular classrooms with permanent buildings. The modernization project is expected to finish this fall.
- What's being done: Landau's portable and metal modular classrooms were replaced with permanent one- and two-story buildings. The work also includes new kindergarten, library and administration spaces, renovations to the multipurpose room and kitchen, as well as improvements to paved areas and landscaping around campus.
- Where things stand: The new classroom and administration buildings and kindergarten area were finished in time for the start of the school year. The multipurpose room is expected to reopen in September, while work on the play field will continue into the fall.
Cathedral City High School
Cathedral City High School, 69-250 Dinah Shore Drive in Cathedral City, is undergoing a sweeping, multiphase renovation of the campus, which first opened in 1991.
- What's being done: Almost every major part of the campus is included, from classrooms and administration offices to the library, gym and food-service areas. The work also includes seismic retrofits, roof and HVAC upgrades, expansions to the gym, kitchen and cafeteria, and accessibility improvements across campus.
- Where things stand: The high school is now in its third phase of construction, which is focused on renovations to the 300 and 400 buildings. That work is expected to continue through winter 2030.
Jennifer Cortez covers education and breaking news in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: PSUSD spending $400 million to overhaul schools. See inside the plan
