Bye-Bye, San Ramon School Portables

Crews have been clearing the way for Novato's — one of the the most unconventionally designed schools you'll see — to get the multipurpose room the staff has always wanted.

A double-wide portable classroom has served as an extra large room on campus for years, but that was moved last week to make way for a permanent facility just south of the school's classrooms. The shots above were taken by San Ramon student Jenna Coyle, who lives across the street from the school (thanks to her mom, Nani, for sharing them with Novato Patch).

Unlike the other elementaries in the , San Ramon has never had a gym or a room for assemblies and special events large enough for the entire student body. Such events either took place outside, weather permitting, or had to be held several times for smaller groups, often inside the double-wide portables.

Opened in 1968, main part of the school is composed of three round buildings — technically nine-sided —with seven classrooms in each plus a common space in the middle. The common space encourages classes to work together and is large enough for special lessons or individualized instruction, but not large enough for a schoolwide gathering.

District Construction Manager Dave Ashe said one of the portables was removed from campus and one will stay on site and be moved about 30 feet south of where it used to be. The new multipurpose building will be about 6,400 square feet, he said.