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Built By Compton: 2011 Alum Builds the New Compton High School

Media Release

Did you know that Compton residents are involved and integral in the construction of the new Compton High School? One example is Compton local and 2011 Compton High School graduate Jave Jones. He currently works on the crew of 150 people who are at the construction site every day, building the new Compton High School campus that will be opened in 2025.

Jones recently started working as an Ironworker and is excited about the role he’s playing to build the new campus structures. His duties on the job site vary from day to day and he has been busy with numerous tasks constructing the main school building.

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“As far as what I'm doing to build Compton High School, I’m cutting, fabricating steel, hanging steel, bolting and connecting steel, tightening them down, and cutting them off,” said Jones. “I’m making sure everything is leveled and sitting right before we weld them together. I'm doing whatever I'm asked to do to make sure that this comes out to be a masterpiece.”

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Growing up in the city of Compton, Jones attended Bursch Elementary School, moved on to Enterprise Middle School, and then went to Compton High School. At Compton High School, he was an active athlete and played football for four years. He was also on the basketball team and track team for two years.

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After graduation, Jones attended Los Angeles Harbor College for a year, and then worked a few different professions. “I had several jobs before this. I carried mail. I was a bus operator. But there was something about those jobs that weren’t fulfilling,” he noted.

His father, who was Master Welder and Ironworker for 30 years, suggested Jave follow him into the field. “He always told me I could do it and had my back,” he said.

So, Jones got his Ironworker training and now finds himself building the new version of his alma matter. “It's full circle for me,” Jones said. “I graduated from this school and it’s my first job in this role working on the school I graduated from.”

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Through his current duties on site, Jave is getting a first-hand view of what the new campus will finally look like and knows the community will be impressed.

“The kids will love the new amenities that we're going to have as far as the football field, the swimming pool, and other things,” he said. “It’s going to be a state-of-the-art building. It's really going to look nice.”

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While Ironworking is a tougher job than others he’s had, Jave’s finding this one to be more rewarding. “This is very hard work, but it’s very satisfying,” he says. “For me to be working here, I’m just truly grateful.”

“I'm proud for my family, for myself, and for my community, to be able to say I’m from Compton and I helped build this school and be a part of something special.”

 

The New Compton High School – By The Numbers

The New Compton High School represents the first new high school facility to be built in almost a decade in the greater Los Angeles area. The soon-to-be built facility will replace the old Compton High School, which was more than 100 years old.

The construction project, supported by construction partners Design Firm DLR Group, building project management consulting firm Cumming, construction firm Swinerton, and a host of others, including building trades and small businesses.

The district’s “Built by Compton” Initiative has been working to open doors to opportunity on the project and in the trades for local workers and small businesses. Measure S, which is funding the construction, was passed by Compton voters in 2015.

The new Compton High School, set to welcome its first cohort of students in 2025, will feature:

• A 31-Acre High School

• 1,800 Students

• A 140,639 Square Feet Academic Building

• A 40,868 Square Feet Performing Arts Center

• A 36,534 Square Feet Gymnasium

• California Native and Adaptive Landscaping

• Covered Areas such as Lunch shelters