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Emerald High School is expected to welcome the first group of students to its campus in August 2024. (Image courtesy DUSD) 
Emerald High School will open later this year with around 40 classrooms. Once the site is finished, staff said the campus will accommodate up to 80 classrooms. (Image courtesy DUSD) 
Dublin’s new high school will feature a variety of facilities for students, staff and faculty. (Image courtesy DUSD) 
As Phase 1 of construction was completed in March 2024, the Emerald High School site prepares to welcome students this fall semester. (Image courtesy DUSD) 
Once completed, Emerald High School will host a number of facilities to service its students, including a performing arts center, student union building, tutoring center, kitchen and more. (Image courtesy DUSD) 
Sports facilities on the Emerald High campus will accommodate basketball, track, football, soccer and others. (Photo courtesy DUSD)
A new chapter is set to begin for education in Dublin as Emerald High School prepares to open its doors to students, teachers, parents and faculty members later this year.
The much-anticipated school promises to be a hub of learning, community and innovation.
Community members were invited to partake in a tour of the site on April 16, generating excitement and anticipation for the upcoming opening. Led by incoming principal Francis Rojas, assistant principal Lenni Velez, Superintendent Chris Funk and other district officials, the tour provided a glimpse into the facilities, resources and opportunities that students will soon be able to utilize on their education journey.
The campus, located at 3600 Central Pkwy. on 23 acres of land, will house over 80 classrooms once fully completed.
District officials highlighted the necessity of EHS in addressing the significant growth Dublin has experienced in recent years.
“This community has needed a second high school for a long time,” Rojas said. “Over the last 10 years this community of Dublin has invested a lot of money into building what we are now standing in — Emerald High School.”
Freshmen and sophomores are slated to step onto campus on Aug. 13, with plans to gradually add a new grade each subsequent year. EHS staff anticipate 950 students to be on site later this year in 42 open classrooms (but the full capacity once completed will be up to 2,500).
“It’s an honor and a privilege to be part of the journey toward opening Emerald High School. This institution represents not just a building, but a promise of excellence and community,” Rojas said.
Emerald is poised to become the first comprehensive high school built in Alameda County in over 50 years, the last being Foothill High School in Pleasanton in 1973. However, in the Tri-Valley, it will be the most recent to open in just under 20 years — Dougherty Valley High opened in San Ramon in 2007.
DUSD officials said the district saw a 92% increase in student population from 2010 to 2020, so the addition of Emerald is a crucial step in accommodating the community’s needs.
During that time, neighboring school districts saw much lower growth rates, with Pleasanton at 0.5%, Livermore Valley at 7.6%, and San Ramon Valley at 10.9%.
“With the changing demographics in the Bay Area, we want to make sure the experience here at Emerald High School reflects the wants and needs of the community it serves,” Rojas said.
The journey to bring EHS to fruition has been years in the making. It began in June 2018 when the Dublin Unified School District Board of Trustees first approved the location for the school. The site was scheduled for three phases.
Phase 1 would complete the admin building, student union, kitchen, library, gym, locker rooms, academic tower 1, and main sports facilities. Phase 2 will see the construction of an additional academic tower, VAPA extension and stadium bleachers. Phase 3 will see the inclusion of the 600-seat Catherine Kuo Performing Arts Center.
Ground was broken for construction in the fall of 2020, and after years of work Phase 1 was completed last month. Phase 2 is expected to be finished in April 2025 and Phase 3 in August 2026.
“Our team has worked tirelessly to bring this vision to life, and I couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve accomplished together,” Rojas continued.
The $374 million project received most of its funding from two bonds, Measure H and Measure J, along with Prop 51.
As for academics, the school will offer three career technology education pathways: Project Lead the Way (PLTW) biomedical sciences, PLTW computer sciences, and PLTW engineering.
An ACCESS Center (Academic College and Career Education Student Support) will be built to provide students with tutoring support or college guidance.
Rojas explained that the new site represents a significant investment in the future of Dublin’s education system.
“It’s a symbol of opportunity. It is a place where students will have access to state-of-the-art facilities, different academic programs, and a supportive community dedicated to their success.”
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misattributed some of the photos included in the article. Embarcadero Media Foundation regrets the error.
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