NEWS RELEASE: San Diego Unified and City Leaders Join Marston Middle School Students in Groundbreaking Ceremony
News Release
San Diego Unified and City Leaders Join Marston Middle School Students in Groundbreaking Ceremony
June 2, 2022
SAN DIEGO - A “greener” chapter is on the horizon for Marston Middle School students.
Students joined San Diego Unified and City of San Diego leaders Thursday to mark the start of their campus modernization that will transform the Marston Middle campus in Clairemont.
“It will be a transformative new chapter for the students and athletes at Marston Middle,” said Dr. Lamont Jackson, Superintendent for San Diego Unified. “It also underscores our commitment and dedication to health and wellness for all students at San Diego Unified, and the neighboring communities as well.”
Aging portables on the northeast corner of the campus will be removed to make way for a new gymnasium, parking lot, and on campus student drop-off and pick-up zone. The decomposed granite field will be transformed into a joint-use grass field.
The project also includes modernization of existing classrooms and restrooms, including music spaces. Additional renovations will be made to student services offices, food services, physical education facilities, and campus security will be enhanced.
The gymnasium will feature a main entrance lobby and basketball, volleyball, and badminton striping with six retractable basketball backboards. The grass playfield will include a walking/running track, a sprint track, long jump area and newly planted trees.
“The Clairemont community deserves a modern, state-of-the-art middle school campus,“ said Sabrina Bazzo, Board of Education Vice President for San Diego Unified. “We could not be more thankful to the taxpayers who invested in our schools. You’re contributing to a better future for students in District A and beyond.”
The joint-use field is part of the Play All Day partnership with the City of San Diego and will be accessible to the community as a local park after school hours and during school breaks. Since the district and the city entered into the partnership, 90 joint-use fields are available for use, with 25 new fields planned.
"With the upcoming upgrades to the joint-use field, gymnasium, and more, today's groundbreaking marks a turning point for the students and faculty at Marston Middle School. It's wonderful to know that Clairemont families will soon be able to enjoy more of the community's outdoor spaces," said City of San Diego Councilmember Chris Cate.
“It’s been a thorough process working with the district, city, school staff, parents, and the community to plan out this project,” said Jonathan Gollias, Principal of Marston Middle School. “We’re thrilled to see our hard work and designs come to life and to see our students and the community using these new facilities for years to come.”
Funding is made available through Propositions S & Z, and Measure YY, which are local school bond measures approved by San Diego voters to improve San Diego Unified schools. The project is estimated to complete in late 2024. Read more about the project at http://fpcprojects.sandi.net.
ABOUT MARSTON MIDDLE SCHOOL:
Located in the heart of Clairemont, Marston Middle School provides all students exploratory and elective courses each day, including courses in robotics, engineering, construction, coding, photography, graphic design, art, video production; orchestra, band, guitar, jazz, martial arts, and CPR and First-Aid.
An annual award winner in Project-Based Learning, Video Production, Robotics, and P.E., Marston’s P.E. Department and after-school sports teams will soon call the new gymnasium and grass field its home. Read more about Marston Middle School here.
RELATED LINKS:
Photos and video of the groundbreaking event can be found here.
A project fact sheet, drone video of the existing campus and renderings can be found here.
Read more about the Play All Day Parks Program here.
About construction contractor Sundt.
About Roesling Nakamura Terada Architects.
MEDIA CONTACT: Jamie Ries, Information Services Specialist, San Diego Unified, 619-855-9283, [email protected].
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