School may be out of session for summer break, but the Chula Vista Elementary School District is welcoming a new school.
The elementary school district will host a ribbon cutting and dedication for its newest school Saburo Muraoka at 4p.m. on July 19.
Saburo Muraoka, located at 1644 Santa Alexia Ave., near Santa Victoria Avenue in Otay Ranch Village 2 becomes the Chula Vista Elementary School District’s 46th school.
The k-6, two-story school cost about $51million, including the purchase of 10.3 acres. The school site features 36 classrooms, a first-class digital media library and a multi-purpose classroom, and a Japanese Friendship Garden.
Balfour Beatty constructed the school and project architect Ruhnau Clark.
Many of the classrooms have a large open window that administrators can look into as they are walking in the halls without disrupting classrooms.
The school will house up to 800 students and 36 teachers.
Last year the school board approved naming the new campus after Muraoka, who was part of the fabric of early Chula Vista. Muraoka immigrated to Chula Vista in 1915 and built an agriculture business that was all lost following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. After the war, Muraoka returned to Chula Vista to rebuild his life and business He died in 1931.
“The school’s design and learning environment will mirror the innovative spirit of Saburo Muraoka,” said Chula Vista Elementary School Superintendent Francisco Escobedo. “He was known to be an innovator in growing celery and cucumbers, developing unique grafting and farming techniques. Similarly, this school’s design will promote critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication for our students.
The new school is said to relieve student overcrowding on some of the elementary campuses on the eastside. With the completion of recent housing projects on the eastside, the Chula Vista Elementary School District needed to accommodate more students.
Development for the school started about three years ago. An architectural team and a construction crew visited newer elementary schools in San Diego County and South California to look at school designs, lighting, architectural landscaping concepts and difference energy efficient ideas to possibly incorporate in designing Saburo Muraoka.
Saburo Muraoka is scheduled to open later this month when school is in session.
