A new 14,500-square-foot robotics center opened at Cupertino High School on September 10, giving up to 900 students from five Fremont Union High School District campuses a permanent home after years of building robots in makeshift portables. The facility, funded by a $275 million bond measure district voters passed in 2022, replaces the patchwork of temporary spaces that has long defined student robotics work across the district.
The opening is tied to Measure G, which voters approved in the June 7, 2022 primary election with 55.71% of the vote — just above the required 55% threshold, according to San José Spotlight. As reported by The Mercury News, Fremont Union High School District Superintendent Graham Clark said in a release that seeing students walk into the new facility was an incredibly proud moment for the district, and he described the district's robotics teams as award-winning.
From Student Garages to a Custom-Built Facility
Before the center existed, robotics teams across the district worked out of whatever space they could find. Lynbrook High's team, the Funky Monkeys, spent 10 years building robots in student garages before receiving temporary campus workshop space in 2011, according to Lynbrook Robotics. That same scramble for space played out at other campuses.
Ground broke on the new facility on May 19, 2025, with Landmark Constructors building the project, Blach Construction serving as construction manager, and Quattrocchi Kwok Architects handling design, per the Mercury News report. Quattrocchi Kwok Architects Principal Nick Stephenson said in 2025 that the facility's specialized technical features were directly shaped through design collaboration with students, adult mentors, and coaches, according to Spaces4Learning.
Built for Robots, Not Just Classrooms
The building includes a dedicated robotics field with spectator seating, a fully equipped workshop, classrooms, and team collaboration zones, the Mercury News reported. Outdoor grounds add an entry plaza, drop-off areas, landscaping, and rooftop solar panels, while the site is also equipped to support aerial drone testing.
Inside, the design addresses the specific hazards of building competition robots. Elevated ceiling heights, electrostatic discharge protective flooring to guard sensitive electronic components, acoustic roof decking and wall paneling, and integrated daylighting controls all feature in the facility, according to the same report. The center also has advanced security features and a dedicated Wi-Fi system engineered to prevent signal interference during robot operation.
A Districtwide Investment Beyond Robotics
Measure G's reach extends well past Cupertino High. The bond funds projects across the district, according to the Fremont Union High School District. The bond's property tax rate is $15 per $100,000 of assessed property value annually, or 1.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
The district's bond management has continued to evolve since voters approved Measure G. The district's bond program includes a 2026 bond financing summary and a Series 2026 update.
Reaching Beyond the Five Campuses
Robotics programs within the district have also worked to extend their reach into feeder schools through outreach, according to Cupertino Robotics.
Safety and conduct on district campuses, including at extracurricular facilities like the new robotics center, remain governed by California Penal Code § 626.10 and Education Code § 48900, which authorize disciplinary or law enforcement action involving hazardous objects on school grounds. Hoodline has previously reported on safety incidents elsewhere in the district, including a knife incident at Homestead High and a false active-shooter report that triggered a lockdown at Monta Vista High School in November 2024.
For now, the opening marks a shift for robotics teams moving from makeshift arrangements into a facility purpose-built around their work. Questions remain about how scheduling and transportation will be coordinated among the five high schools sharing the space, and how future Measure G funds will be distributed across the district's other ongoing campus upgrades.
