El Rodeo School closed in 2019 to modernize facilities. (rendering courtesy of BHUSD)

Beverly Hills Unified School District superintendent Michael Bregy gave an update on the reopening of El Rodeo Elementary School during a Board of Education meeting on Feb. 13. The school is set to open in August 2024 and will serve as the new location for the current students and teachers at Hawthorne Elementary, which will close at the end of the school year.

Bregy presented the school board with the strategic implementation master plan to open the school later this year. He emphasized the focus on a smooth transition for students and staff from Hawthorne to El Rodeo.

“We’re very purposeful in paying tribute to Hawthorne,” Bregy said. “Recognizing that this transition is challenging for some, exciting for most, we want to take into consideration how everybody is feeling and meeting them where they’re at.”

El Rodeo closed in 2019 to modernize facilities and transition from a K-8th to a TK-5th school. The school was originally scheduled to open in 2021, but was delayed due to pandemic-related issues.

Current Hawthorne principal and future El Rodeo principal Sarah Kaber outlined the schedule for the rest of the year.  She said public tours of the new school will begin by July at the latest and will occur twice a week. Sign ups are open to any interested person. The tours will have about 20 open slots each.

Kaber also highlighted some of the concerns around the closure of Hawthorne.

“There’s a lot of emotional pieces around staff and parents who went to Hawthorne and imagined this Hawthorne journey for their own children, and it’s ending,” Kaber said. “Even though El Rodeo is so happy, there’s a little sense of loss and goodbye, so we’re trying to manage that.”

BHUSD board member Mary Wells said the board is working with the city to repurpose Hawthorne Elementary School.

“We’re going to keep the school in the district. We’re also considering moving our district offices there,” Wells said. “The big idea really is an early education center that would include preschool and daycare and that would be run by the city.”

BHUSD executive director of communications Rebecca Starkins outlined efforts El Rodeo School will take to mitigate effects on local traffic. The school will work with BHPD to control traffic during drop off, pick up and events. Starkins also announced a new El Rodeo website that will give updates and answer questions about the opening.

The grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on Aug. 11 at 11 a.m. at El Rodeo Elementary School, 605 Whittier Drive.