Master Plan

In 2012, Head-Royce School was presented with the transformative opportunity to purchase the former Lincoln Child Center (located across the street at 4368 Lincoln Avenue) to create additional learning spaces that further support the educational goals, strategic vision, and core values of the School.

The proposed plan we have presented to the City of Oakland incorporates years of detailed feedback we have received from neighbors, which helped us identify innovative solutions to top areas of neighborhood concern, including process/transparency, traffic/parking, facility use, noise and neighborhood character. In particular, we have worked hard to address our neighbors’ longstanding concerns around traffic congestion on Lincoln during pick-up and drop-off. The master plan will be transformative for the student experience at Head-Royce, yet it exercises a light touch from a construction-and-use standpoint. The school and its team are in the midst of the entitlements process, during which the City will formally consider our plan for approval and conduct in-depth studies to assess impacts related to traffic, site ecology, and drainage, among other elements. We value your participation in this process and hope that ultimately City leaders agree that we have worked together to craft a plan that works not just for Head-Royce, but for our entire community.

Entitlements Process

From the beginning, this project has been enriched by an open dialogue within our community and thoughtful feedback from our neighbors. We are now beginning the entitlements process, during which the City will formally consider our plan for approval. We hope you will consider participating in this process to show City leaders how we have worked together to craft a plan that works not just for Head-Royce, but for our entire community.

Community Outreach

We are committed to open and transparent lines of communication with our neighbors to address any concerns that may arise. We’ve worked hard to solicit feedback on the plan from neighbors throughout our community. The thoughtful input we’ve received over the last five years has helped us identify innovative solutions to concerns around noise, traffic, privacy, and sustainability. In particular, we have worked hard to address our neighbors’ longstanding concerns around traffic congestion during pick-up and drop-off times. Head-Royce strives to be a considerate and cooperative member of the neighborhood, and we look forward to continuing these transparent and productive discussions. We've been a proud and active member of the Lincoln Highlands-Oakmore-Dimond community for over half a century.

Infrastructure Improvements

These improvements are the product of extensive discussions with our neighbors. The new loop road and pedestrian tunnel, which were proposed in an effort to significantly ease the traffic burden on the neighborhood, will improve the flow of traffic in the area, while ensuring students are able to safely travel to and from pick-up and drop-off. Neighborhood through-traffic will move more smoothly on Lincoln Avenue, while drivers will be able to reverse direction after drop-off without driving through the current neighborhood loop – a benefit to parents and neighbors alike.

Preservation of Neighborhood Character

The site plan preserves the character of the existing site, while providing expansive new green space that both students and community members will benefit from. The exteriors of buildings with historic architectural features will be retained and rehabilitated. The preservation of trees along the perimeter of the campus will serve the dual purposes of sustainability and privacy. And we have taken great care to ensure that new construction does not interfere with our neighbors’ views.

Minimal Neighborhood Impact

Our plans have been informed by neighbor feedback from the very early stages. We believe that our Master Plan makes a big impact on the student experience at Head-Royce yet exercises a fairly light touch from a construction and use standpoint. A perimeter fence will provide a sound buffer at key locations, there will be no nighttime lighting, and neighbors will benefit from the improved flow of traffic.

A Measured Approach to Enrollment

Head-Royce seeks to enroll a vibrant and diverse student body while maintaining a low teacher-student ratio and balancing programming with fiscal responsibility. We envision continuing to grow our enrollment gradually over time at our typical rate of approximately 1% per year. Over the next 20-30 years, we expect to reach a new maximum enrollment threshold of 1,250 students.

Master Plan Feedback Form

All feedback forms are read closely and discussed within the internal Head-Royce Master Plan working group. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. The School anticipates being able to address many of the recurrent themes through the Project Description and Environmental Impact Report.