Media Advisory: San Diego Unified’s Language Academy Celebrates Completion of New Classroom Buildings and Campus-wide Air Conditioning

MEDIA ADVISORY -- July 15, 2014
Contact: Cynthia Reed-Porter, 619-546-3378

San Diego Unified's Language Academy Celebrates Completion of New Classroom Buildings and Campus-wide Air Conditioning

WHAT:  San Diego Unified School District's Language Academy will officially dedicate its newly revitalized campus tomorrow, complete with new, green classroom buildings, a new student drop-off/pick-up area and campus-wide air conditioning. More than 700 students will join parents, community members and district leaders for this celebratory event at the College Area school.

WHEN: Wednesday, July 16, 9:30-10 a.m.

WHERE: Language Academy, 4961 64th St. San Diego 92115 -- Media parking will be available on site. Enter gate off of Montezuma Road. (See attached map.)

VISUALS: Students lead the Pledge of Allegiance in English, Spanish and French. (Language Academy offers bilingual immersion courses in English, Spanish and French.) Student sings the National Anthem. Students join special guests and cut ceremonial red ribbon. Immediately following the dedication ceremony, guests will be able to tour two of the new classrooms and see the other improvements such as the new play structures and student drop-off/pick-up area.

GUEST SPEAKERS/INTERVIEWS: Students, Principal Cynthia Arce, Board of Education President Kevin Beiser, PTSA President Gabriela Contreras-Misirlioglu, Executive Director Lee Dulgeroff (Facilities Planning & Construction/Props. S & Z)

PROJECT INFO: Combined, these two major projects represent a nearly $12 million investment into Language Academy and the College Area community. The funding for the projects came from San Diego Unified's Propositions S & Z, as well as matching funds from the state's Proposition 1D (for the new classroom building). Propositions S & Z are general obligation bond measures passed by voters in 2008 and 2012 respectively.

The new two-story classroom building project included:
• 16 new, permanent classrooms to replace 16 portable classroom
• A new 24,761-square-feet building with sustainable design features and 14 classrooms
• A two-story, 4,112-square-foot addition to existing 700 building
• New science and music classrooms
• Student drop-off/pick up area
• Additional parking

The school-wide air conditioning project was part of Board of Education's 2013 decision to provide classroom air conditioning to the district's 2,000 hottest classrooms. Language Academy received 11 energy-efficient rooftop units, duct work, programed thermostatic controls compliant with district energy management standards and additional electrical panels. (The new classrooms were constructed with air conditioning.)

For more details on the improvements at Language Academy, please visit the following website https://fpcprojects.sandi.net/Pages/Reports.aspx?SchoolName=9170 (scroll down to "Project Schedules").
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Cynthia Reed-Porter, communications supervisor l Communications Office l San Diego Unified School District
Mobile phone: 619-546-3378 l E-mail: creed-porter@sandi.net