Trees Cut at Old Portola Campus – Demolition Coming

The long familiar look of the old Portola Middle School campus underwent a marked change in late February when a number of trees were cut down, leaving only stumps standing.

They were removed to make way for the demolition of the old school buildings, scheduled for sometime in the second quarter of this year, said E. Keith Holtslander, bond regional facilities project manager for the West Contra Costa Unified School District.

Not all trees were removed, he said. Some were left standing and will remain, he said.

"All of the existing school facility is to be demolished and removed from the site, and the site will be prepared (as required by the State) in order to prevent any runoff during/after inclement weather," Holtslander said in an email.  "It is possible that the existing school site may eventually become City of El Cerrito parkland. However, note that nothing is currently designed for the existing site." (That last sentence was underlined in his email.)

The old school, built in 1949, was deemed dangerous in an earthquake and its slide-prone hillside lot not safe for rebuilding. After much debate, the board decided to rebuild Portola at the site occupied by Castro Elementary School in El Cerrito. While the new school is being built, Portola classes are held in temporary buildings constructed on the lower, flat portion of old site.