(Updated October 7, 2024)
Please see below for questions and answers regarding the temporary moves of Longfellow Middle School and Berkeley Adult School (BAS) for Fall 2024.
This FAQ is Closed
Please reach out to site principals for additional information. Below you will find some photos of the modernization of Longfellow Middle School, posted on October 7, 2024. This modernization is a multi-year project and updates will not be provided on this FAQ regarding the temporary move of Longfellow Middle School and Berkeley Adult School during the summer of 2024.
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Fall 2024 Longfellow @ Berkeley Adult School (BAS)
Thanks to a community-wide effort, on August 14 school buses were running, classrooms were set up, educators were ready, and students arrived at the new temporary home of Longfellow Middle School ready for their first day of school.


A big BUSD shoutout to Longfellow Middle School parents and caregivers for these beautiful bulletin boards. A school is so much more than a building–it’s a community working together in countless ways in support of our students. We appreciate you! #BerkeleyTOGETHER
Longfellow at Derby Modernization Update
Modernization work continues at the Longfellow @ Derby site. This includes:
- Sitework
- Construction of the new entry addition
- Weatherization of the main building
- Demolition of existing stucco on the administration building
- Interior work
Here are a few photos of some of the work now underway at Longfellow @ Derby.
Setting fence posts on the Sacramento St. side of the school.



Improvements underway to the interior of the administration building.
Longfellow at Berkeley Adult School (BAS) Questions
Q: Why isn’t the question I submitted on this FAQ?
A: This FAQ answers frequently asked questions from our community. District staff will be working on this two-way school site move throughout the summer and will update this FAQ as more is learned and decisions are made.
Q: How long will Longfellow be at BAS?
A: We believe for at least the 2024-25 and the 2025-26 school years. However, at this time, we are unable to say with certainty until the repairs are fully designed and approved by the State Architect.
Q: When will the Longfellow move be completed?
A: The move is now complete. Teachers are now beginning to set up their classrooms.
Q: Where will the main entrance be? A: The main entrance is on San Pablo Ave. This includes car and pedestrian access. A complete site map is found in the student handbook.
Q: How will students get to school?
A: Please check back soon. We will update our community with transportation information as it becomes available.
Q: Is there bicycle parking?
A:Yes, there are numerous spaces available for bicycle parking at the front entry to the campus.
Q: How will transportation drop-off and pickup work?
A: Student drop-off and pick up will be in the campus parking lot on San Pablo. Buses will enter through the San Pablo gate for student drop off. Additionally, there will be a coned area inside the parking lot for families to drop off and pick up students.
Q: Is there or could there be a virtual/online tour of BAS so that students could get a feel for the campus over the summer?
A: We will host a virtual community meeting and students and families will also have the opportunity for an in-person orientation and tour of the new campus in August. The community meetings will allow students and families to hear important back-to-school information and get a brief orientation of the new campus. The in-person open house/tour will allow students and their families to familiarize themselves with the campus and have a brief orientation.
There will also be orientations and tours for students during the first week of school and other back-to-school events that will help students transition to middle school, new classes/teachers, and a new campus.
Q: When will orientation occur and will students be able to walk around the new temporary campus?
A: Tuesday, August 13th Orientation Day: On this day, families should plan on coming to Longfellow with their student(s) to complete mandatory forms, get class schedules, and participate in a guided site tour. We ask that families use the main entrance on San Pablo Ave at the following time:
- 8th-grade students 8:30 am – 10:00 am
- 7th-grade students 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
- 6th-grade students 1:30 pm –3:00 pm
At the orientation, we will have the following interactive stations: Site Tours, Meet the Counselors, Technology Support: Infinite Campus Parent Portal, Sign up for Music and LEARNS Afterschool Program and Sports, OFEE (Office of Family Engagement and Equity), and the PTA Table where families can purchase swag, get student planners and special prize for mandatory forms completed ticket.
Families that cannot attend orientation day, can pick up schedules on the first day of school in the courtyard starting at 8:00 am.
Q: How will you support students on the first days of school?
A: The first days and weeks of school are always ones of welcome, adjustment, and orientation. The new location will mean that it is an orientation for all students, and not just new students. Staff and school leadership are aware of this and are making plans to ensure that students feel comfortable and familiar with the new campus. Additionally, we are making sure that there is sufficient signage and other supports for students and staff during the initial phases of this transition. We are excited to make this new space ours!
Q: What safety protocols will be in place?
A: Safety is our top priority. Longfellow’s safety and supervision staff have also moved to the new campus. We are working with the City of Berkeley and the County of Alameda to arrange crossing guards and finalize our safety and evacuation plans. The campus is equipped with video cameras, and we are adding additional cameras as well. Like all BUSD campuses, this campus has access control so we can monitor who accesses the campus.
Q: What is the bell schedule?
A: All Longfellow students will attend periods 1-6 daily; the Zero and 7th periods are optional. They will also attend advisory daily. Click here for the bell schedule. Students are expected to be in class “Ready to Learn” when the bell rings for each class.
Q: Will all the same Longfellow programs be offered?
A: We believe the new facility will allow us to maintain our current programs and classes. The facility has a multi purpose room, and we are evaluating location options for after school outdoor sports and will provide additional information when it is available.
Q: Will breakfast and lunch be available?
A: Yes.
Q: Is there a gym?
A: BAS has a multi purpose room.
Q: Where will PE classes take place?
A: We have secured the James Kenney Community Center’s spacious field and gym for our PE classes throughout the year.
Q: What will happen to the music program?
A: Music will continue to be available in periods zero and seven.
Q: Will there be musical instrument storage?
A: Yes, staff has identified space for the storage of instruments, books, school supplies and other materials necessary for running our programs.
Q: Will there be an age-appropriate library?
A: Yes, there will be a library.
Q: Is Berkeley Adult School the same size as Longfellow?
A: The size is comparable.
Q: Can you tell me more about the Berkeley Adult School facility and campus?
A: The Berkeley Adult School served as a primary school campus for many years, serving our younger student population. This campus is typical of school design and offers the needed classroom, office, and ancillary spaces to operate a middle school efficiently.
Q: Will a gender neutral restroom be available for students at the new location?
A: Yes.
Q: Will Longfellow be able to have a garden program? Is there a garden currently on the BAS site? If not, will space be allocated for a garden classroom?
A: The Longfellow garden program will continue at the BAS location. Our Cooking & Gardening staff have already been at the site to plan for the coming school year.
Q: What sort of maker space will there be?
A: There will be a fully equipped classroom designated for Maker Space, a full time teacher, and an Instructional Technology (IT) staff member to support the program.
Q: I have an incoming 6th grader, how possible is it that they will never attend school at the Longfellow campus?
A: At this time, we believe that Longfellow will be temporarily hosted at BAS for at least the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years. We will share additional timing information as it becomes available.
Q: Would the middle school assignment zoning change?
A: Enrollment zoning would not change because of the temporary move.
Q: What will this transition look like for Longfellow’s Berkeley LEARNS/Sports After-School Program? (Outdoor Recreation/space for enrichment classes, sports practices/ games/drop off and pick up location)
A: We are currently exploring options for LEARNS/Sports After-School Program. We know this is an important part of our after school programming and will share more details as we have confirmation about what this will look like for the coming school year.
Q: Will BUSD renovate BAS to have a playground facility (grass, courts, benches, track) for the middle school?
A: We are not currently planning any renovation projects at BAS but are planning options for playground space.
Q: Will there be a sign at the BAS site that says “Longfellow?”
A: Yes, we expect to have signs that identify the temporary home of Longfellow.
Q: Will BAS staff and students be at the Longfellow temporary facility during the Longfellow school day?
A: No, the Berkeley Adult School will become Longfellow Middle School. During this transition, BAS day classes, programming, students and staff are being moved to alternate locations during the school day. At this time, we anticipate that current afternoon CTE programming will continue to take place at BAS.
Q: How can I learn more?
A: If you haven’t already done so, sign up for Longfellow’s Etree. Directions for doing this were provided in the August 6 Longfellow Principal Update. There will be a presentation about the Longfellow move at the August 7, 2024 school board meeting. Click here for information about how to participate. After these meetings take place, they are posted on BUSD’s YouTube channel.
Q: How can parents help?
A: We always appreciate the collaboration with our families. Stay tuned for information about how you can partner with BUSD on this matter, and also follow the Longfellow PTA website.
Longfellow (Derby St.) Facility Questions
Q: Is the safety issue only in a particular building or the entire campus?
A: The safety issue is in the main academic building at Longfellow, but this creates an imminent risk for the entire campus.
Q: If it’s only in the main building, why does the entire school have to move?
A: Although the academic building is the only building that has been red-tagged and deemed unsafe, the impact is on the entire campus. The reason the building has been deemed unsafe is that it is at risk of collapse in its current condition. The Longfellow campus is constrained, and movement throughout the entire campus poses a safety risk with the building in its current condition. Additionally, construction activity and noise will increase once the reconstruction of the academic building is fully designed, approved, and begins.
Q: What is the timeline for Longfellow renovations relative to the dry rot?
A: At this time, we are only able to provide an estimate that it will take approximately two years. This includes, destructive testing and exploration, inspections, design, DSA approval, bidding, and repairs.
Q: Why wasn’t this discovered sooner?
A: While some testing was done on the site in accordance with design standards, there was no way to discover the level of damage behind the stucco, which could not be discovered until the stucco was removed.
Berkeley Adult School (BAS) Questions
Q: Why does BAS have to move?
A: The Longfellow Middle School campus is unsafe for occupation. This was discovered the afternoon of June 7. There was no way to anticipate the discovery of the structural problems on the Longfellow campus. There are no vacant facilities within BUSD where Longfellow could be located. BUSD contacted neighboring school districts in search of a vacant school site large enough to hold Longfellow Middle School; none are available. There are different legal and logistical constraints on the operation of middle school than there are on adult education. This is what makes moving Longfellow to the BAS site the only viable solution for Longfellow for the district to honor the legal and logistical constraints on middle school operation. In this emergency situation, there are no ideal solutions.
BUSD has every intention of returning adult school operations to the BAS campus when the construction at Longfellow is complete and the middle school returns to its home.
Q: Where will Berkeley Adult School classes be held in Fall 2024?
A: At this time we can share that Fall 2024 BAS classes will be held at the following locations:
- King Child Development Center (1939 Ward St.)
- Classrooms on the first floor of the district office (2020 Bonar St.)
- Longfellow’s Dining Commons. Note that this classroom building is across the street from the main Longfellow campus and is not a safety concern.
We will provide additional details as they become available.
Q: When will BAS staff know where we will move to?
A: We are working quickly to finalize logistics and plans so we can provide specific details about facility and classroom assignments.
Q: We’ve worked so hard at BAS to come together as a school. Is there any way to keep us together?
The BAS team has done a lot of critical work to build and maintain strong programming for our adult students, alongside the important work of growing and strengthening the BAS staff community. We recognize that while BAS staff will occupy three different sites, we will need to be intentional and creative in how we continue to stay connected and demonstrate the persistence we seek to our BAS community. We can lean into lessons learned during the pandemic and seek input from the BAS staff.
Q: How can we ensure that there is ample signage for our students to find our new site? How will we ensure students are given proper information about where classes will be held?
A: We are doing outreach and sharing these changes. In June we emailed ESL returning students a message in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic giving the new address on 1939 Ward Street (enter on Milvia between Ward and Derby) and pointing them to our website for updates. We have provided returning ESL students a Google Form to tell us they intend to return to class in August.
The BAS print brochure will go out in the mail starting in late July. At the last minute before the brochure hit the press, we were able to include an announcement that the BAS location is moving, directing readers to our website for the latest location details. Important information regarding the move will be highlighted on the BAS website home page.
Additionally, we will be taking advantage of BUSD’s RoboCall tool to reach out to former students advising them of the move and will be using the texting feature of ASAP to reach as many current and former students as possible.
Signage for the sites involved in the moves is now in production and students will also receive guidance and orientation from Adult School staff on the first few days of school.
Q: How are BAS students going to be able to register for classes and how will they be able to take the CASAS test?
A: We will be able to support these essential functions in the temporary facilities BAS will move to.
Q: How will this impact the building improvements that are being planned for the BAS campus?
A: Those modernization plans are still in the design process. We plan to delay the start of this modernization until Longfellow returns to its home campus.
Q: Can BAS have night school as usual?
A: Night programming is a significant part of BAS operations. As such, BUSD’s intent is for BAS to be able to function as normally as possible during this temporary period. We fully expect to be able to offer night classes for BAS students.
Q: How will instructional materials and such be moved to the new site(s)?
A: BUSD facilities has previously engaged the services of professional movers who have very successfully managed school moves. Professional movers will pack materials at BAS and move them to the assigned classrooms in the new locations.
Q: Where will CTE classes be taught?
A: CTE classes will continue to be held at the Berkeley Adult School Campus. These classes meet in the evenings and will not interfere with Longfellow day or afterschool programming.
Q: How many adult toilets are planned to be built for King CDC? Will these be porta potties or more permanent structures?
A: We are not using porta potties. Due to the strict timeline, facilities cannot be constructed on the site. Instead, at King CDC, there are 4 staff restrooms on-site and BUSD’s Facilities department has also purchased a mobile restroom trailer that has both Men’s and Women’s rooms with 4 stalls each along with a seperate ADA restroom. This is a solution often used for interim facilities that are designed to be used for extended time in instances such as this.
Q: Are the BAS equipment and resources that we purchased specifically with BAS money going to go with us to the new sites–Promethean boards, student desktops (computer lab), etc.?
A: Most adult school FF&E items (Fixtures, furniture, & Equipment) are moving to the new locations. All items have been identified by the BAS leadership and in collaboration between BAS leadership and staff.
Q: The culinary equipment at BAS was bought with BAS monies. Will this equipment move with the BAS culinary program?
A: All equipment that has been identified by BAS Leadership in collaboration with their staff to be relocated is being relocated. More specifically, there is a full commercial kitchen at the Longfellow Dining Commons facility with similar equipment. For that reason, small appliances, kitchenware items, etc. are being moved and we are not moving large items that already exist at both sites.