Golden West unveils new classrooms for sixth graders

“I’m a little jealous,” said Johnson, 13, standing near a classroom doorway as groups of people filed into one of the new wood-and-glass buildings after a celebratory 1:30 p.m. ribbon-cutting at the De Ronde Drive campus.

She pointed to her left, southward, and added, “Our classrooms are over there. This is a brand-new building.”

Classmate Cece Imbuyi, also 13 and standing opposite of Johnson, echoed her remark about the newness of the building but welcomed the idea that sixth graders “are coming to our school.”

Entering one new classroom after the ribbon-cutting, Principal Sarah Portugal said the new buildings, two of them outfitted with energy-saving solar panels and part of a complex of largely prefabricated buildings, represented a “hopeful” moment as she and her staff are adding 400 sixth-grade students to an existing enrollment of 750.

Governing board president Matthew Bidou, who briefly addressed some 150 people who gathered for the ribbon-cutting under a cloudless sky and temperatures in the 90s, said, “I’m excited. I’m glad to see the sixth graders here,” referring to the school’s first comprehensive sixth-through-eighth-grade campus configuration in more than 20 years.

Travis Unified Superintendent Tiffany Benson exults after the ribbon-cutting Friday at Golden West Middle School to mark the completion of four new sixth grade classrooms at the De Ronde Drive campus. (Reporter Staff/Richard Bammer)

In a prepared statement to The Reporter, TUSD Superintendent Tiffany Benson, wrote, “Today’s ribbon-cutting is about more than opening a beautiful new 6th grade wing — it’s about continuing the legacy of Travis Unified, founded in 1962 to serve the children of Travis Air Force Base and now home to more than 5,400 students across three communities.”

She added, “These classrooms are a promise to our students — a promise of innovation, opportunity, and excellence — and a reminder that when our community comes together, we can build a future worthy of every child who walks through our doors.”

The approximately 19,000 square feet of new space includes, besides classrooms, a teacher’s workroom, and restrooms. Site work includes a staff parking lot and new basketball and tennis courts. Construction began in February of 2025.

The project was awarded to XL Construction, a Milpitas firm, in partnership with Aedis Architects and Daedalus Structural Engineering, two San Jose companies, to build sustainable TimberQuest classrooms. TimberQuest uses cross-laminated timber to create prefabricated wall and roof panels offsite that are erected and installed at school sites.

At the outset of her remarks before the ribbon-cutting, Portugal said the newly added classrooms symbolized a new chapter for the district and Golden West.

Benson said the new classrooms and the district’s commitment to learning and imparting skills to its students means the public will “find out who we are as a community.”

Students, she added, will come to know that they “will be seen, be supported and be prepared for what comes next.”

Bidou noted campus “security” was a key element in the expansion of Golden West. He pointed to 8-foot-high, black steel fencing, curved at top to discourage anyone from scaling it.

At one point, Benson received a small wooden memento, of wood blocks stacked in an incongruous way.

While Golden West is a newly configured campus, Benson, in her prepared statement, said the school’s new sixth grade program offers a thoughtfully developed “core hybrid” model, that is, one that minimizes the number of teachers a typical student interacts with daily.

Each student will have a dedicated “core teacher” for English and social studies, and another

core teacher specializing in math and science.

The approach, Benson contends, “provides consistency for students transitioning to middle school life and helps students build stronger and deeper relationships with teachers and classmates.” Also, students will participate in physical education and an elective course, “ensuring a well-rounded educational experience,” she added.

President of the Travis Unified governing board, Matthew Bidou, referring to the four newly built six grade classrooms at Golden West Middle School, said after the ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday at the De Ronde Drive campus, “I’m glad to see the sixth graders here.”

In additional prepared remarks, Portugal, who began her job on July 21, said: “As we all come together for the start of the school year on August 13th, our staff and student leaders are diligently preparing for the changes this year will bring. As a new leader to this team. I am honored to be part of a community that is creating a new space for our students to learn and grow. We look forward to a successful year with amazing families, students, and staff.”

Added Benson: “It is such a point of pride for our community and Board that we have developed an innovative program for our middle school students that bridges the best aspects of our elementary and secondary schools and have brought that vision into reality so quickly.”

“It’s not often, given today’s fiscal pressures,” she added, “that schools can provide learning spaces that match the excellence of their instructional programs — but that’s what makes this accomplishment so significant.”