LAUSD celebrates major renovation at Grant High School in Van Nuys

Los Angeles Unified officials, elected leaders, school staff and community members gathered at Ulysses S. Grant High School on Monday to celebrate the completion of a sweeping, multi-year campus modernization project.

The $196.1 million effort, which began in 2019, transformed the campus with new state-of-the-art classrooms and labs, an upgraded multipurpose/auditorium space, revitalized athletic areas and expanded green space and gardens. It also brought safety and accessibility improvements, including seismic retrofits to multiple buildings, fire alarm and HVAC system upgrades, and enhancements to meet ADA standards, according to LAUSD planning documents.

Los Angeles Councilmember Adrin Nazarian, who represents parts of east San Fernando Valley and attended the event, said the upgrades were long overdue.

“Grant High School has been a cornerstone of the Valley community for over 60 years, but it has long been in need of renovation. I secured funding for this project when I was in the state Assembly and I’m glad to see the work finally complete,” said Nazarian, who served on the State Allocation Board that approves the allocation of state school construction funding. “The students of Grant High deserve the best learning environment we can give them, and now they have it,” he said.

The modernization is a part of LAUSD’s larger $9.6 billion investment to upgrade school facilities across Los Angeles, a commitment to “building learning environments where students can thrive and be Ready for the World,” school officials said in a statement.

At Grant High, the modernization was funded through the district’s School Upgrade Program, which was shaped in part by Measure Q, a $7 billion bond measure passed by voters in 2008 and refined over several years as the district assessed facilities in greatest need of improvement, according to district planning documents.