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Emerald High School welcomed nearly 1,000 freshmen and sophomores to its brand-new campus on the east side of Dublin last week.
The school comes after nearly two years of initial construction and a full school year of inaugural classes operating off-site at Dublin High School. The campus boasts facilities like a large student union, wellness center, 31,898-square-foot gym, full-sized sports field, modern classrooms and more.
Emerald’s opening on Aug. 13 at 3600 Central Pkwy. was a momentous occasion for Alameda County, which hasn’t seen a new comprehensive high school built from the ground up in over 50 years.
It’s also significant to a city where conversations about a second high school have been circulating for over a decade, as Dublin High classes overflowed into portables and commute times from the eastern part of town skyrocketed.
Within the next two years, Emerald is anticipating additions like a second academic building, a theater extension and new freshman classes of students. In the meantime, staff will foster a developing culture at the $350 million-plus campus.
“When you open up a brand-new school, you hope that this could be a model for what education looks like tomorrow — and that’s how we built this place,” inaugural principal Francis Rojas told Pleasanton Weekly.
At the center of Emerald is a gem, also known as the student union. Reminiscent of a college facility with its 40-foot ceilings and open layout, the space will serve as a central gathering spot for students. It is attached to amenities like food services, the main office, library, a 137-seat lecture hall, a wellness center to support students’ mental health and a hub called the ACCESS Center.
The ACCESS (or Academic, College and Career Education Student Support) Center will offer students academic support and tutoring during the school day and after school. It will also host college and career exploration opportunities through college visits and presentations, application and financial aid workshops, career counseling and more.
Emerald is also gearing up for sports.
At 31,898 square feet, the gymnasium can seat 2,400 people to watch the Aerouants compete in a range of indoor sports. Outside, the school boasts a full field for football, soccer and lacrosse surrounded by an 8-lane track and bleachers to seat 3,885 people.
When not gathering at the student union or playing sports, students will be in one of the school’s 42 classrooms, situated in a three-story academic building. Staff expect another 38 classrooms will be added once the second academic tower is constructed.
Jaime Roberts, math lead at Emerald High, said she is thrilled to work next to department faculty after teaching in the portables at Dublin High. The proximity to other math teachers allows her to collaborate on lessons during passing periods, something she says improves the lessons.
As for Emerald students, sophomores are actually the school’s very first class.
They started at a campus-less Emerald last year, when it was operating out of Dublin High. These students attended classes mostly separate from the DHS students.
Each year, this one included, a new class of students is added. So the 2026-27 school year will be the first year Emerald High will have four full classes on campus.
Having students attend Emerald is meant to alleviate overcrowding at DHS, according to Dublin Unified School District Superintendent Chris Funk.
As of now the school capacity is 1,300 students, but this figure is anticipated to rise to approximately 2,500 students in two years.
The new school also aims to reduce commute times for families living in the eastern part of the city.
It was a 45-minute drive across town to DHS, said Deepali Saindane, mother of an Emerald student. On opening day Aug. 13, it took just three minutes for her son to get to school.
Students will attend Emerald because they live within the school’s boundaries while others will attend because they opted to. This is possible because DUSD is a choice school district, meaning the high schools must accommodate students within their boundaries and families can elect to attend the other school, officials said.
Academically, students at Emerald can choose courses from a swath of regular courses and electives like dance, theater arts, ceramics and sculpture, digital and video arts, Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese and Korean — although some parents on the first day of school expressed concerns about their students receiving requested electives.
In response Rojas explained, “Our community just needs to understand that electives aren’t guaranteed. They are offered, but if it’s full and it doesn’t fit your schedule, you’re not gonna get that. You can get it another time.”
However, the school may open classes for popular electives like computer science or Spanish if teachers are willing to instruct zero period, the principal said.
In addition to regular courses, Emerald offers specialized sequences called career technology education (CTE) pathways that are meant to segue students from their high school education to postsecondary education and careers, according to the California Department of Education website. The pathways are offered through its partnership with the Tri-Valley Regional Occupational Program (ROP) and include Project Lead the Way (PLTW) biomedical sciences, PLTW computer science and PLTW engineering. In the future, Emerald will introduce a building and construction pathway.
Dublin’s new high school also features two lifeskills labs with apartment-like equipment for students in the special education program to learn independent living skills.
As a new school, staff are intent on building up a positive community.
Even before opening the campus, a Design Committee composed of students, parents and community leaders set a vision for the school’s academic programs, extracurriculars and graduate aims, according to Rojas.
“We identified the values of courage, character, compassion, critical learning and community,” Rojas said of the graduate aims. “So when our students graduate in four years, we want them to walk away with those values and skills that will help them be better human beings and be leaders in the world.
Now that students are on campus, attention is on building community and culture, Rojas said. But that doesn’t mean copying Dublin High.
“It’s easy to transplant ideas from other schools, but if it’s not meaningful and intentionally designed around the students we serve, then it doesn’t mean anything,” he said.
To foster a positive community, staff created a schedule with “access periods” twice a week. During this time, freshmen will participate in a mentoring program and sophomores will receive training from the culture climate staff and give their input on activities they want.
In addition to the access periods, Emerald’s Wellness Center will host activities to support students around mental health, stress and communication.
Rojas hopes that the school is a model for the future of education.
Over the next two years Emerald High is expected to reach many milestones, as construction of the school is expected to continue until August 2026, according to Funk.
With Phase 1 complete, Phase 2 is expected to be finished in April 2025. This portion of construction includes an additional academic tower, visual and performing arts extension and stadium bleachers.
The third and final phase involves construction of the 600-seat Catherine Kuo Performing Arts Center, anticipated for August 2026. This theater will be used to host musical performances, recitals, guest speakers and will also be rented out for external use, according to school officials.
Funk said he is thankful for Dublin’s support in this $374 million endeavor, as Dublin property taxpayers have funded the school’s construction. In total, $170 million came from Measure H, $200 million from Measure J and another $4 million from Prop 51.
“I just want to really reinforce my gratitude and appreciation for the community support around bond programs and around their patience for this beautiful school to be built,” Funk said on opening day.
The school exceeds all expectations, Roberts said, having visited the site during construction.
“I remember walking through and they had pictures of the mockups of what the campus would look like. And I just remember thinking, ‘That’ll be really cool when it comes.’” she said. “And then now I’m here I’m like, ‘No, it’s way better than I thought it would be.’”
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