Paul Ecke Central Rebuild Project

DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT

The Encinitas Union School District has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the proposed Paul Ecke Central Elementary School Rebuild Project (State Clearinghouse No. 2025100767) to address the potential environmental effects associated with implementation of the proposed project. Pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21165 and the CEQA Guidelines Section 15050, the District is the lead agency for the proposed project.

Click here to view the Draft Environmental Impact Report

To review the appendices related to the DEIR or the full Notice of Availability, please select documents from the dropdown menu options below.

DEIR Appendices
Notice of Availability of the DEIR

DEIR Appendices

Appendix 1-1, Notice of Preparation (NOP) and NOP Comment Letters
Appendix 3.2-1, Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Modeling
Appendix 3.2-2, Health Risk Assessment
Appendix 3.3-1, Cultural Resources Assessment
Appendix 3.3-2, Historic Building Survey For Building A
Appendix 3.3-3, Secretary of the Interior (SOI) Compatibility Assessment for the Old Schoolhouse
Appendix 3.6-1, Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment
Appendix 3.6-2, Title 5 School Facilities Evaluation
Appendix 3.6-3, Pipeline Safety Hazard Assessment
Appendix 3.6-4, Rail Safety Study
Appendix 3.7-1, Noise Modeling Data
Appendix 3.8-1, Traffic/Circulation Analysis

Notice of Availability of the DEIR

Paul Ecke Central will be rebuilt beginning in the summer of 2026 and is estimated to be completed in the fall of 2027. This project is made possible with funding from the recently passed Bond Measure Z, and was approved by the Encinitas Union School District Board of Education in a special board meeting held on January 8, 2025.

The decision to rebuild was made after a careful and thorough analysis of our campus, while looking at the current and future needs of our students. We know how important our school is to the foundation of our community, and are excited to create a space that both students and members of the community can be proud of for generations to come.

Project Fast Facts
Project Overview

Project Fast Facts

Project Fast Facts:Architect Company: The DLR Group
Contractors: Balfour Beatty
Construction Start Date: Summer 2026
Where will students go during construction: PEC students will attend a different EUSD school campus during the 2026-2027 school year. Based on feedback from PEC families and staff, both in meetings and through a survey, students will be assigned to relocation sites by grade level for the 2026–2027 school year. Kindergarten through 3rd grade students will attend El Camino Creek, while 4th through 6th grade students will attend Park Dale Lane. This grade-level assignment also reflects careful consideration of space availability, campus layout, and logistical needs at each site. To support this transition, district-provided bussing will be available for all PEC students throughout the construction period. More details on that will be provided in the upcoming school year.
Will there be more input meetings: Additional logistics input meetings will be held for the community in the spring as preparations for the 2026-2027 year are being made

Project Overview

Paul Ecke Central hosted a Superintendent Chat on Feb. 6, 2025, to provide parents with an overview of the reconstruction plans for Paul Ecke Central. Parents and community members in attendance had the opportunity to ask questions and give input at the end of the presentation. View the presentation slides HERE, or watch the recording of the meeting below.

English

Español

PEC Rebuild Logistics Update (PEC, PDL, ECC) - January 2026

Superintendent Grey and the principals from Paul Ecke Central, El Camino Creek and Park Dale Lane presented a rebuild logistics meeting. They presented at all three schools for both staff and the community. The video provides useful information that outlines what staff and families can expect next year while PEC is being rebuilt including transportation, staffing, campus logistics, and more. The recording of their presentation to the PEC community, along with the full slide deck can be found below.

Presentation Video - English

Video de Presentación

Presentation Slides

PEC Rebuild Logistics Update - January 2026 (PDF)

DLR Architects Design Update - November 20, 2025

On November 20, 2025, the DLR Architect Group presented a design update for the Paul Ecke Central rebuild project to staff and families. The recording of their presentation, along with the full design update slide deck can be found below.

Presentation Video - English Captions

Video de Presentación – Subtítulos en Español

Presentation Slides

PEC Rebuild Design Update Presentation Nov. 20

Meetings

Community Input Design Sessions

The community input design sessions for the reconstruction of Paul Ecke Central were held on February 26, March 12, and March 20. These sessions provided District administration and the DLR Group architecture team a chance to gather input from PEC families and community members on design plans for the new building. We appreciate everyone who participated, there were more than 50 attendees at each input session consisting of PEC current and former parents, community members, city representatives, and more. Below is an overview of what took place at each meeting.

Input Meeting 1: The DLR Group presented on project goals, educational outcomes, and district-wide objectives. Community members worked in groups to discuss insights on student and staff needs, community expectations, and program integration, while also addressing development strategies and construction infrastructure. The meeting concluded with group reports and a discussion on next steps.

Input Meeting 2: The DLR Group reviewed key facts and needs, including enrollment projections, facility conditions, and community considerations such as the Farmers Market and parking. Participants engaged in workshops to discuss gathering spaces, flexible learning environments, health and safety, and other important factors, aligning these goals with the needs of students. The session concluded with group reports and a discussion on next steps.

Input Meeting 3: The DLR Group discussed building a program of areas, the site master plan and concepts, and aesthetics. DLR then gathered feedback and facilitated a group discussion about site utilization, access, security, and planning concepts. An aesthetics exercise was conducted, where participants compiled photo examples of designs to determine the desired look and feel for the new PEC building. The meeting concluded with group reports and next steps. Below are images of examples of vibe boards created during the aesthetics workshop. After the meeting, DLR reviewed the vibe boards to create a concept board reflecting the overall design wishes from the community. The concept board highlights natural materials and textures, use of color with restraint, indoor/outdoor connections, natural landscapes and play areas, abundant natural light, playful and organic, collaboration and gathering, respect for local content.

Vibe Board Examples from the PEC Rebuild Community Input Sessions. One is titled funky, natural coastal. One is titled Swell Times.

PEC Design Concepts From Comm. Input Sessions

Steering Committee Meetings

Student Input Sessions

Additional Communications

Notice of Preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Report

This message serves as the official Notice of Preparation (NOP) of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Paul Ecke Central School Rebuild Project. The 30-day public review period for the NOP is from Wednesday, October 22, 2025, through Thursday, November 20, 2025. Please click here to review the full NOP document.

In accordance with State law, if you have comments or concerns regarding the scope and content of the information to be addressed in the EIR, please submit written comments to:

Encinitas Union School District
Attn: Eric Smith, Director of Facilities and Safety
101 South Rancho Santa Fe Road
Encinitas, CA 92024

Comments may also be submitted by email to Eric Smith at eric.smith@eusd.net. Please include “Paul Ecke Central Elementary School Rebuild Project” in the subject line of your correspondence.

SCOPING MEETING:
The District will host a scoping meeting from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, in the Paul Ecke Central multi-purpose room. This meeting will include a presentation of the proposed rebuild project and an overview of the EIR process. We invite all interested members of the community to attend the meeting to learn more about the project, ask questions, and submit comments.

Previous Design Updates

June 10, 2025 Design Update - Presented by DLR Architects

DLR Architects presented their first initial design concept of the Paul Ecke Central rebuild to the board of trustees, as well as to the PEC staff and community. The design and layout was created based on the feedback and ideas of the community and staff during the design input meetings held in the spring. Please note that this is not the final design, but a first concept.

Thumbnail for PEC Design Update June 10, 2025

PEC Rebuild Update Newsletters

In an effort to keep PEC families informed throughout this process, Principal Sechrest will periodically send out a newsletter with specific updates on the project.

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Paul Ecke Central Rebuild Project

DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT

DEIR Appendices

Notice of Availability of the DEIR