Media advisory: Patrick Henry High Breaks Ground on New Performing Arts Center and Production Studios

MEDIA ADVISORY -- March 25, 2014
Contact: Cynthia Reed-Porter, 619-546-3378

Patrick Henry High School Breaks Ground on New Performing Arts Center and Production Studios

WHAT:  San Diego Unified School District's Patrick Henry High School is beginning campus-wide site modernization improvements and upgrades, as well as the construction of a new and long-awaited performing arts center, as well as facilities for its College, Career & Technology (CCTE) Production Studios Program. Students, parents, community members, district leadership and board president will celebrate the start of construction with a groundbreaking ceremony tomorrow. The event will also include the presentation of a prestigious national music award.

WHEN: Wednesday, March 26, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

WHERE: Patrick Henry High School, 6702 Wandermere Dr., S.D. 92120 (Media parking will be available on site).

VISUALS: Presentation of a national music award (presented to the district), presentation of the colors by the school's Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps color guard, ceremonial ground breaking, student vocalists, architectural renderings of award-winning design for performing arts center, construction signage and equipment.

GUEST SPEAKERS/INTERVIEWS: Listy Gillingham, Henry High School principal; Kevin Beiser, San Diego Unified School Board or Education President; Tony Nguyen, a senior in the school's Technical Theater Program; Katherine Nakamura, former Board of Education member and current Cowles Mountain Community Foundation president; Lee Dulgeroff, Facilities Planning and Construction executive director; and Ralph West, College, Career and Technical Education program manager.

PROJECT INFO:
This nearly $37 million project is funded by San Diego Unified School District's Propositions S and Z, the general obligation bond measures approved by voters in 2008 and 2012 respectively, as well as by matching state funding. The state's Prop. 1D will provide matching funds for the CCTE facilities. The project includes:

Performing Arts Center and Production Studios Program Facilities
. 16,000 square feet, 500-seat facility for musical and theater events
. 8,100 square feet of College, Career & Technical Education Production Studios Program facilities to provide education in media and design arts, as well as production and managerial arts
. Workshop spaces for fabrication design, audio-visual, lighting, model and mixed media
. Planned joint-use with local, private theater and orchestra groups

Site Modernization:
. Upgrades to several buildings including the gym
. New campus-wide air conditioning
. Intercom system
. Electrical upgrades
. Security lighting
. A new fire alarm system
. Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades
. A new parking lot

Construction of the performing arts center/production studios is expected to be completed by fall 2015, followed by the school site modernization in spring 2016. The project partners are T.B. Penick & Sons, Inc. and PJHM Architects.

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Cynthia Reed-Porter, Communications Supervisor | Communications Office | San Diego Unified School District
Office: 858-637-3607 | Mobile: 619-546-3378 | E-mail: creed-porter@sandi.net



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