It is history in the making for Mission Valley, as years of planning come to life with the start of construction on the neighborhood’s first public elementary school.
Located at the corner of Via Alta and Civita Boulevard, a new preschool through fifth-grade campus will serve residents living in the Civita residential development, as well as families living in the Mission Valley and Fashion Valley neighborhoods.
“With more significant growth planned in the area, we must prepare for the influx of new families and students,” said Dr. John Lee Evans, Board of Education President. “This community deserves a quality neighborhood school.”
This new campus will feature next generation first-grade through fifth-grade classrooms with roll-up doors that open to the outside, creating hybrid indoor and outdoor learning spaces. A two-story entryway building will house student services, a library, makerspaces, secure visitor check-in, and professional development spaces. What’s more, the campus will include dedicated play areas for preschool, kindergarten, and first-grade through fifth-grade students, as well as a versatile indoor and outdoor multipurpose facility.
The new elementary school will offer students an academic focus on environmental science, supported by a sustainable design that incorporates solar power, rainwater capture and energy efficiency.
“The rapid growth in Mission Valley is an opportunity to model a new vision for a San Diego Unified School,” said Superintendent Cindy Marten, “One that is future oriented, grounded in sustainability and with an innovative, flexible learning environment.”
Near a transit line and featuring bike racks, the new campus is the result of years of planning and collaboration with Sudberry Properties, which is currently developing the former sand and gravel quarry into a pedestrian friendly, mixed-use community.
Sudberry has been developing the community at Civita along with the Grant family, which owned the former quarry site since the early 1900s.
“We’re excited to welcome San Diego Unified’s next-generation elementary school to Civita,” said Marco Sessa, Senior Vice President of Sudberry Properties. “The Grant family has an
unwavering commitment to education, and they have been a driving force behind the creation of this school. We are happy with this collaboration because we see education as a vital part of our live-work-play vision for Civita.”
The new campus will enroll up to 500 students. Construction is expected to complete in spring 2022.
BACKGROUND:
The new school is funded through the voter-approved Proposition Z bond measure, state schools facilities funding, and developer fees.
San Diego Unified School District’s capital projects are supported by the district’s Propositions S, Z and Measure YY, which are local bond measures approved by San Diego voters to repair, renovate and revitalize neighborhood schools. In addition to renovation and replacement, bond projects include classroom technology, facilities to support College, Career and Technical Education, classroom air conditioning, safety and security upgrades, and other facilities improvements at traditional and public charter schools throughout San Diego Unified.
