Lincoln Middle School celebrated the reopening of its newly modernized Legacy Building last week, the latest milestone in Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District’s ongoing effort to replace aging school facilities with modern learning spaces.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held September 10 for the renovated building, which now includes nine new math, science and general education classrooms, an Innovation Lab for STEM and project-based learning, covered outdoor learning areas, improved natural light and flexible spaces designed around contemporary teaching practices.
“This building has been an important part of Lincoln for many years, and now it has been transformed into a modern learning environment for a new generation of students,” Lincoln Principal Dr. Jose Cuevas said. “But what makes this building special isn’t just what you see. It’s what will happen here: students learning, collaborating, creating and discovering new interests.”
Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton said the project is a reminder that investments in school facilities are ultimately investments in students.
“Today is a great reminder that when we invest in our schools, we’re investing in our students,” Shelton said. “But a building is only part of the equation. It’s our teachers, staff, families and students who will bring these spaces to life.”
The Lincoln project is part of a broader modernization effort underway across SMMUSD. Santa Monica and Malibu voters approved new school bonds in 2024, providing funding for projects that include replacing aging facilities, modernizing existing buildings and creating new learning environments. The district says the bonds are dedicated to capital facility improvements.
At Lincoln, the district’s facilities program describes the Legacy Building as a major renovation that creates an eighth-grade hub with modern classrooms, an innovation lab and new outdoor learning space.
The work at Lincoln is not finished. The district says a new approximately 5,000-square-foot playground is planned for this fall, while improvements to the school’s Main Building are scheduled to begin in summer 2027.
The modernization comes as SMMUSD continues work on projects across Santa Monica and Malibu, including improvements at Grant, McKinley, Roosevelt and Santa Monica High School. The district says the goal is to create school facilities that give students the spaces and resources they need to learn, collaborate and thrive.
