MEDIA ADVISORY
District Leaders to Join Pacific Beach Elementary Students, Community to Celebrate Completion of New Transitional Kindergarten & Kinder Building, Campus Upgrades
Friday, January 30, 2026
WHAT:
District leaders will join Pacific Beach Elementary (PBES) and Mission Bay High (MBHS) students to celebrate the ribbon-cutting for the 96-year-old school’s new TK and Kinder building and campuswide upgrades.
WHEN:
Monday, February 2, 2026
8 - 8:45 a.m.
WHERE:
Pacific Beach Elementary School
1234 Tourmaline St.,*
San Diego, CA 92109
*See map below for event location and media staging area.
VISUALS: 8:00 - 8:10 a.m. - PBES & MBHS Student Performances
8:10 - 8:18 a.m. - Remarks by Speakers
8:18 - 8:25 a.m. - Ribbon-cutting, Photo Opps.
8:25 - 8:45 a.m. - Media 1-1s, Classroom & Campus Tour
Drone video and ground and drone photos can be found here.
SPEAKERS:
Dr. Fabi Bagula, Superintendent, San Diego Unified School District
Cody Petterson, Board of Education Trustee, San Diego Unified School District
Karon Schnitzer, Principal, Pacific Beach Elementary School
Students, Pacific Beach Elementary School
BACKGROUND:
Located along Tourmaline Street, Pacific Beach Elementary School has served the community for 96 years.
First opened in 1930, Pacific Beach Elementary began with just one campus building and added another in 1938. As the population grew, so did the campus. Five additional buildings were added from 1940 to 1957. In 1976, the 1930 buildings were replaced by a single building, and five buildings were constructed for the former Los Altos Child Development Center. At that time, three portable classrooms were added due to the increased student population. In 2004, a 1.8-acre joint-use field along Turquoise Street was created for student and public use.
In Fall 2023, construction began on a Whole Site Modernization and Joint-Use Field expansion project to bring students a new Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten building, a grass playfield, a secure main campus entryway, renovated classrooms, and shade shelters.
Funded by local bond measures, the kindergarten facility includes modern, state-of-the-art classrooms and collaborative workspaces that lead out to a new play structure with a shade shelter. A second shade shelter was installed in the general play area. All existing classrooms, the student services facility, and the multi-purpose room were renovated, and all restrooms and the school kitchen were upgraded. To make room for these new facilities, the three portable classrooms that were built in 1976 were removed.
A Transitional Kindergarten through fifth-grade campus, Pacific Beach Elementary offers robust arts and science programs; music, theater, and dance opportunities; and hands-on scientific experiences through a partnership with San Diego Youth Science.
The expansion of the joint-use field will include a walking and running track, a renovated basketball court, new trees, a drinking fountain, secure perimeter fencing, and a public access gate. As part of the Play All Day partnership with the City of San Diego, the joint-use field will be accessible to the community as a local park after school hours and during school breaks. A separate dedication for the field will be held once it opens to the public later this spring/early summer.
PARKING MAP:
Media can park at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints parking lot, located at 5151 Fanuel St, San Diego, CA 92109. See the map with the location of the parking lot, event location, and the entry gate.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jamie Ries, Information Services Specialist, San Diego Unified, (619) 855-9283, jries@sandi.net.
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