Compton, CA — Swinerton has officially completed construction of the new $232 million Compton High School, a state-of-the-art campus that represents one of the largest education investments in the city’s history. The project, which began in 2019, has transformed the 31-acre site into a modern educational hub designed to serve 1,800 students while honoring the community’s history and culture.

The new campus replaces the original 126-year-old school, which was demolished to make way for cutting-edge academic and extracurricular facilities. Among its standout features is the Andre “Dr. Dre” Young Performing Arts Center, made possible by a $10 million donation from Compton native and music icon Dr. Dre. The gift underscores his ongoing commitment to his hometown and its next generation of talent.

“This investment is about giving students in Compton the same opportunities to succeed and express themselves as students in other communities,” Dr. Dre said when his donation was first announced.

The high school’s facilities are extensive and future-focused, including:

• 140,639-square-foot academic building with collaborative, technology-driven learning environments.
• 40,868-square-foot performing arts center, equipped for concerts, plays, and community events.
• 36,534-square-foot gymnasium and multiple athletic facilities, including football, baseball, softball, and soccer fields, along with tennis and basketball courts.
• A half-sized Olympic swimming pool, designed for both student athletics and community recreation.
• A digital-first library with no physical books, reflecting the district’s emphasis on technology integration.
• Covered outdoor spaces and California-native landscaping to create sustainable, welcoming gathering areas.

Swinerton logged roughly 720,000 workhours over the course of the project, with nearly 200 workers on site daily. Notably, more than 60% of the workforce was local, exceeding the builder’s initial 35% local hiring goal.

The school was designed by DLR Group of Omaha, Nebraska, and project management was led by Cumming Group of New York City. To ensure efficiency, Swinerton employed innovative construction technology throughout the process. Drone flyovers were used during the earthwork phase to monitor site progress and confirm import and export calculations, while BIM technology coordinated the complex structural and MEP systems, minimizing on-site conflicts and delays.

Funding for the project came from a 2015 voter-approved bond measure, which is part of the Compton Unified School District’s “Built by Compton” initiative. The program emphasizes local hiring and small business participation, ensuring that investments in education also fuel the local economy.

“This is more than just a school — it’s a community anchor and a symbol of what’s possible when we invest in our students and workforce,” Swinerton said in a statement.

The opening of the new Compton High School is expected to mark a turning point for education in the district, providing students with world-class resources and inspiring community pride for decades to come.

Originally reported by Matthew Thibault in Construction Dive.