New $374 million high school campus opening in Dublin

LaMonica Peters
·2 min read
2

DUBLIN, Calif. - A new $374 million-dollar high school is opening in Dublin. Emerald High School will open its doors in the fall and district officials say the new campus will help alleviate overcrowding at Dublin High School.

Emerald High School will welcome the Class of 2027 here to the brand-new campus. Staff and students say it’s an exciting time and something they feel will impact the community for years to come.

"Just the idea of being the inaugural grade and getting a chance to set the standards, that’s what everybody else is freaked out about," said Oluwafunmilayo Minett, an Emerald High School Student.

Students, faculty, and staff at Emerald High School in Dublin are beaming with excitement as the first day of school gets closer. Funded by bond measures, Dublin Unified School District broke ground on the 23-acre campus in September 2020. Now it’s preparing to welcome the first 950 students on August 13.

"Dublin High School is so full that this community has needed a 2nd high school for a long time. I believe over the last 10 years, this community of Dublin has invested a lot of money into building what we are now standing in, Emerald High School," said Francis Rojas, Emerald High School's Principal.

Emerald High School will have a capacity for 2,500 students once fully built by 2026. Right now, the campus has 42 classrooms, a 2,400-seat gym, a 137-seat lecture hall, high-tech science and technology classrooms and a grand student union.

Patty Ramsay teaches biology at Emerald High School and is looking forward to working in her new classroom.

"There’s going to be more counter space for them to do their experiments on. I also have a prep room. We have a lot of prep rooms and prep space that’s going to make it easy for us to flow," said Patty Ramsay, an Emerald High School biology teacher.

The district says between 2010 and 2020, its student population grew 92% and, since 2000, Dublin Unified has opened eight new schools, including Emerald High School.

"With the changing demographics here in the Bay Area, we want to make sure the experience here at Emerald High School reflects the wants and needs of the community it serves," said Rojas.

"I feel like I know what we all want, and this school is it," said Minett.

When Emerald High is completed, it’ll also have a full football field, eight tennis courts, and an 8-lane track. The district also says it plans to open another school in Shamrock Hills in 2026.