By Amanda Scurlock for Los Angeles Sentinel
Originally published June 3, 2026
One of the oldest schools in the city is receiving a major upgrade.
Jefferson High School hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new gymnasium on Friday, providing state-of-the-art amenities to present and future Democrats.
Along with a new gymnasium, the renovations include a new practice gym, ROTC classroom, small theater, dance room and workout rooms. There is also a therapy room equipped with cold plunges, a band room and an aerobics room.
U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, state Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas and District 9 Councilmember Curren Price sent certificates of recognition to Jefferson during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“One of the things that’s really beautiful about Jefferson having this space is that it will really attract students and families,” said Jefferson Principal Kristine Puich. “It really is a world-class experience that they’re going to get here.”
The renovations are a part of a $274 million effort to update the historic campus. Jefferson was established in 1917 and was rebuilt in the early 1930s after a 6.4 earthquake destroyed several buildings on campus.
The renovation of the gym started in 2016, former senior design manager Gwendolyn Logan worked to have the project come to fruition. She noted how it was like “being an owner’s [representative] but on the design portion of the project.”
“It was not my decision, it was the district’s,” Logan said. “[Jefferson] had a matrix of issues they were looking for, one being the number of classrooms and portables, one being the seismic safety of the buildings, the age of the facilities.”
In 2017, Jefferson was declared a national landmark. The architects wanted to maintain the historic elements of the academic buildings.
“Jefferson High has been part of this community for 110 years — and that history doesn’t just deserve to be preserved, it deserves to be invested in,” said LAUSD chief facilities executive Krisztina Tokes. “With the new gymnasium now open and major investments in classrooms, athletics, wellness, and campus-wide improvements, we are delivering the safe, modern spaces these students deserve.”
Jefferson Vice Principal Alejandro Oropeza was in charge of overseeing the construction of the school. Oropeza was recently awarded 2026 LAUSD Assistant Principal of the Year honors. The auditorium and the science building has been refurbished.
“We have a new quad and a new outdoor area,” Oropeza said. “This building is second to none. When we talk about any high school in the U.S., when we talk about most major colleges and universities, our facility can compete with any of those.”
The gym flaunts a weight room with new equipment on the first floor. The second floor has a general fitness room, which includes new treadmills, stationary bikes and rowing machines.
The small theatre is equipped with a stage, dressing rooms and retractable seats. The room can sit 42 spectators.
The gym has been open to the students since spring break. The boys’ volleyball team has since hosted games in the new gym. Students played instruments in the band room shortly after the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The second floor features a terrace that overlooks the football field and the Los Angeles skyline. The high windows of the second-floor workout room also provide a view of the skyscrapers downtown.
The new gym stands where the girls gym used to be. The boys’ gym will also be demolished as renovations are predicted to continue into 2029. A tech building will take its’ place, according to Oropeza.
“Some of the things that are coming down the line are the administrative building, where some classrooms are at, with our parent center,” Oropeza said. “We’re going to have some science labs, out arts studios, some graphic design and other great, futuristic classrooms and a wellness center.”
The football, softball and baseball fields will also be refurbished.
Jefferson alumni from the 70s and 80s attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Jefferson Alumni Association President Vieyvette Stewart-Gordon called the new gym “absolutely beautiful.”
“I’m a former cheerleader, so I wore my cheerleader jacket, had on my green and gold,” Stewart-Gordon said. “It’s just wonderful and a blessing for the alumni to still be here to participate in this monumental event.”
