Students at Carmel Del Mar School walked into more than 30 redesigned classrooms on Monday, Aug. 10, the first day of the 2026-27 school year, after a $13.3 million modernization transformed the Del Mar Union School District campus over the summer.

The project converted traditional classrooms into learning studios with whiteboard walls, flexible furniture on wheels, and reading nooks carved from sealed-off doorways. But the centerpiece is a new library and innovation center at the heart of the school, where crews raised a formerly sunken floor to create a flat, open space ringed by STEAM studios and a quieter library wing.

"There's still work to do but it was a happy first day," assistant superintendent of business services Chris Delehanty told the San Diego Union-Tribune, describing students exploring new classrooms and using new furniture in an enhanced outdoor courtyard.

Temporary walls in the innovation center will become accordion glass doors opening onto that courtyard and the adjacent studios. All furniture inside, from whiteboard tables to booths and shelves, sits on wheels so the space can be reconfigured for assemblies or performances.

Indoor-outdoor connectivity is a district-wide design priority Delehanty said has already been showcased at the new Del Mar Heights and Pacific Sky campuses and the remodeled Del Mar Hills school. The superintendent's report at the board's June 24 meeting, attended by board members Doug Rafner, Gee Wah Mok, Alan Kholos and Bill Porter, noted the modernization was "off to a great start."

What's still underway

The multi-use room renovation and a new standing seam metal roof remain in progress. One of the two castle turrets that framed the school's entrance was removed to make room for the MUR work, which will convert two doors into a single accordion door with an overhang, add overflow courtyard seating, and upgrade lighting, ceiling, carpeting, the AV system and stage.

The outdoor amphitheater and its dragon mascot mural have been preserved on the back side of the building, with a new waterproof shade planned over the outdoor stage.

With students back on campus, construction is limited to Wednesdays after early release and Saturdays. Delehanty said the district hopes to finish by winter.

Community input and what's next

Some parents had pushed during the design phase against changes to the library they loved, preferring a larger multi-use room expansion instead. The district determined a major MUR expansion was not financially or spatially feasible, and the board approved a general modernization.

Construction is also continuing at the neighboring Carmel Del Mar Park, a separate city project adding a new playground and comfort station expected to open this fall.

The district's next modernization target is Ashley Falls School. That estimated $17.5 million project is set to begin in summer 2027 with roofing and HVAC replacement, followed by upgrades to classrooms, the innovation center and outdoor learning spaces.