Maintaining High-Quality Education in Santa Monica and Malibu Schools

The Facility Improvement Projects (FIP) department develops and constructs capital improvement facility projects for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. FIP primarily manages projects funded by voter-approved General Obligation Bonds.

FIP works with the other departments in the Facilities Division, Maintenance & Operations, Facility Use and Sustainability, to maintain and improve school facilities to support today’s and tomorrow’s learning.

SMMUSD’s Facilities Improvement Projects has been recognized for being one of the most progressive educational facilities programs in California having won numerous international, national, state and local awards for innovative classroom buildings.

Videos of our latest Facility Improvement Project updates

Malibu High School Construction Progress: A Visual Journey

Check out the latest Malibu High School photo slideshow capturing the remarkable progress of the ongoing construction. The project is moving swiftly, showcasing impressive developments and transformations. Stay tuned to witness the future of our school taking shape!


Watch video here: https://youtu.be/bd_vjWGEGLU

Santa Monica High School's Exploration Building and Gold Gymnasium Comes to Life

Explore our Building Information Modeling video! Witness the 3-D rendition of Santa Monica High School’s upcoming Exploration building and Gold gymnasium spring into action. Experience the digital portrayal of the buildings' features.

For more information on Samohi's Campus Plan, visit: https://bit.ly/SamohiGroundbreaking.


Santa Monica High School's Exploration Building and Gold Gymnasium

Unveiling Santa Monica High School's Cutting-Edge Exploration Building and Gold Gymnasium

Get an exclusive sneak peek! Witness the remarkable progress of Santa Monica High School's upcoming Exploration Building and Gold Gymnasium through stunning drone footage. Anticipated opening summer 2024. 

Learn more about the project here: https://bit.ly/SamohiFacilityProjects


Watch drone video here: https://bit.ly/SamohiExplorationandGoldGymVideo2024

McKinley Elementary School Q&A on Future Facilities

Take a seat at the table as McKinley Elementary School's Principal, Daniela Weiner, engages in a captivating Q&A session with Carey Upton, SMMUSD’s Chief Operations Officer. Together, they delve into the exciting changes coming to McKinley and how the state-of-the-art new administration and classroom building will have a profound impact on student learning experiences. 

Learn more about McKinley's future projects here: https://www.smmusd.org/Page/5594.

Watch Q&A here: https://bit.ly/McKinleyFIPQA2024 

Santa Monica High School - The new Discovery Building



Will Rogers Learning Community Welcomes Changes with Modernization Project

Groundbreaking Ceremony Celebrates First Phase of New Malibu High School

After years of hard work, patience, dedication and persistence, the new Malibu High School (MHS) classroom, administration, library, and cafeteria building is finally becoming a reality. To celebrate the major milestone a groundbreaking ceremony was held on Monday, Oct. 30, 2023. The Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District’s (SMMUSD) Board of Education, superintendent, MHS principal, SMMUSD staff, local elected officials, community members, students and building partners attended the celebration. 

Read more here: https://bit.ly/NewMalibuHSGroundbreakingPR2023

Watch the new Malibu High School's groundbreaking ceremony here: https://bit.ly/NewMalibuHSGroundbreaking2023

Preparing for the Future: School Facilities from the Past to Tomorrow

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) continues to evolve and with tax payers help school facilities are transforming into the progressive cutting edge 21st century learning spaces they need to be.


Watch SMMUSD's facilities evolve here: https://bit.ly/SMMUSDPrepsforfuture

John Adams Middle School's New Performance Arts Center

FIP: Building 21st-century learning spaces

The Facility Improvement Projects (FIP) department of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) provides construction and program management services for the district's facility capital programs. Our goal is to modernize facilities to support 21st-century learning while being good stewards with school bond funds.

School construction is multi-faceted and touches every part of a school site. Our team is committed to:

• Designing and constructing state-of-education buildings — with input from district educators, staff, parents, and the community — that supports the learning initiatives such as integrating new technology into classrooms for the success of our students and their future.
• Providing safe and secure campuses, especially during construction projects. We emphasize maintaining a safe environment for students, staff or visitors.
• Create environmentally-friendly spaces for students through sustainable initiatives such as outdoor learning spaces, energy and water efficiency programs, reducing waste, and the utilization of sustainable materials such as recycled flooring and carpet.

We have largely completed the projects funded by Measure BB, a $268 million bond passed by voters in 2006. The projects funded by Measure ES, a $385 million bond passed in 2012, are either completed or are under construction in Malibu and Santa Monica. Measure M, $195 million, specifically for Malibu schools, and Measure SMS, $485 million, specifically for Santa Monica schools, were overwhelmingly passed by voters in November 2018. We are planning for the new projects funded through these latest bonds. These projects feature the next phases of the Samohi Campus Plan and the master planning of the new Malibu Middle and High School campus. The bond program includes major improvements at the elementary and middle schools in Santa Monica and Malibu. Bond measure details.

The District adopted the Districtwide Plan for Sustainability on March 21, 2019. The plan defines what sustainability means to SMMUSD and provides a thorough pathway of how to get there. The plan is organized into eight categories: climate, solid waste, water, transportation, food, nutrition and wellness, energy and renewables, and education and engagement. Each category has specific implementation strategies and goals to be reached by the end of 2020, 2025 and 2030. The Sustainability Plan is the product of collaborative efforts between the District’s Board of Education, staff, educators, students, parents, and community members.

The FIP department is led by Carey Upton, Chief Operations Officer, who also oversees Maintenance & Operations and Facility Use. The bond construction program is managed by Steve Massetti, Bond Program Manager. The professional team of district staff and consultants support every aspect of the projects. There are Prop. 39 Citizens Oversight Committees for the separate bonds that ensures expenditures are in line with the voter-approved bond language. Facility direction is aided by Santa Monica and Malibu Facility District Advisory Committees comprised of community members, parents, staff and city staff, that are appointed by and provide advice to the Board of Education.