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NEW PRE-K-5 MISSION BAY SCHOOL MOVES FORWARD
The SFUSD predicts by the year 2025
USPA NEWS -
The school district itself has developed a plan titled Vision 2025 which addresses the needs on how to better prepare students entering the workforce in the mid-21st century. It promises to fundamentally address how educators will meet the challenge through innovative instruction.
The San Francisco Unified School District held a community briefing this past October 17th to update the neighborhood and gain feedback on the planned Pre K-5 elementary school to be built adjacent to the Owens Street circle in Mission Bay. This first of many planned public engagements was held in a meeting room at Mercy Housing and was well attended by residents, neighbors and local business leaders alike, many excited about the positive prospect of a multi-generational community, and one that's more inclusive to their needs and location, since some residents currently feel isolated by Mission Creek and downtown.
In addition to providing the public with changes and updates, SFUSD representatives collected public comment and reaction to the presentation which will be reviewed and noted before finalizing recommendations at the upcoming Board of Education Committee meeting to be held on December 4th.
The school itself will be built on a UCSF donated parcel of land known as lot 14, and calls for a 2.2 acre footprint, comprising of a 0.7 acre school building along with an adjacent 1.5 acre school yard with open space and a vertical height limit of between 80-90 feet.
In addition to providing the public with changes and updates, SFUSD representatives collected public comment and reaction to the presentation which will be reviewed and noted before finalizing recommendations at the upcoming Board of Education Committee meeting to be held on December 4th.
The school itself will be built on a UCSF donated parcel of land known as lot 14, and calls for a 2.2 acre footprint, comprising of a 0.7 acre school building along with an adjacent 1.5 acre school yard with open space and a vertical height limit of between 80-90 feet.
Current plans also call for a linked learning hub for students along with office space, and other as yet determined district professional development. Parking concerns promise to be addressed once the size and scope of the project is determined in the design phase.
Current District 6 city supervisor, Jane Kim, spoke to the crowd and thanked long term supporters of the project for their dedication, enthusiasm and patience. She referenced her involvement in the planning of the school stretching back to 2007, and the strong commitments that former mayors and supervisors, as well as the Board of Education have had for the project. She confirmed that the timetable is on track for the groundbreaking which is set to begin by 2021, a deadline set by UCSF, as a condition of the land's donation.
At the meeting, the SFUSD acknowledged that as planned housing continues to be built and occupied, more families bring permanence and activity to an area formally shuttered by 6 pm. A large number of the residential complexes already built contain affordable housing units, accessible for purchase or rent to families with children which already has a noticeable impact on the area.
Current District 6 city supervisor, Jane Kim, spoke to the crowd and thanked long term supporters of the project for their dedication, enthusiasm and patience. She referenced her involvement in the planning of the school stretching back to 2007, and the strong commitments that former mayors and supervisors, as well as the Board of Education have had for the project. She confirmed that the timetable is on track for the groundbreaking which is set to begin by 2021, a deadline set by UCSF, as a condition of the land's donation.
At the meeting, the SFUSD acknowledged that as planned housing continues to be built and occupied, more families bring permanence and activity to an area formally shuttered by 6 pm. A large number of the residential complexes already built contain affordable housing units, accessible for purchase or rent to families with children which already has a noticeable impact on the area.
The SFUSD predicts by the year 2025, enrollment will increase to upwards of 14,000 students which will exceed current campus capacity. Former President of the San Francisco Board of Education, Matt Haney, an enthusiastic proponent of the project raised concerns years earlier by citing that the greatest growth in student population would be from the Mission Bay and SoMA areas. These facts and concerns along with a desire to ensure future schools are a reasonable distance from housing helped the city to move forward with the project in the first place.
The school district itself has developed a plan titled Vision 2025 which addresses the needs on how to better prepare students entering the workforce in the mid-21st century. It promises to fundamentally address how educators will meet the challenge through innovative instruction. The plan, in part consists of attracting and growing talent to ensure student success in a culture of aspiration and collaboration.
The school district itself has developed a plan titled Vision 2025 which addresses the needs on how to better prepare students entering the workforce in the mid-21st century. It promises to fundamentally address how educators will meet the challenge through innovative instruction. The plan, in part consists of attracting and growing talent to ensure student success in a culture of aspiration and collaboration.
This will be done in profession learning spaces, which they hope to incorporate into the design plans in this new school, by giving high school students specialized learning opportunities that Mission Bay can offer through partnerships with its highly accessible corporate, bio-tech and health related anchor tenants.In addition, the partnership between the new school and the neighboring UCSF campus has the potential to go beyond the initial land donation,.to include an expansion of the current Science and Health Education Partnership already in existence between the university and the SFUSD.
As it stands now elementary students who reside in Mission Bay are forced to attend school outside of the neighborhood with the Bessie Carmichael school in SoMA and Daniel Webster in Potrero Hill the two closest choices. These two options are not lost on Marcella Azucar, a resident of the Mission Bay, and mother of a 4th grader. "Families enter the lottery system, and only with multiple appeals over the decision of their assigned schools can parents have a say where their children attend school".
As it stands now elementary students who reside in Mission Bay are forced to attend school outside of the neighborhood with the Bessie Carmichael school in SoMA and Daniel Webster in Potrero Hill the two closest choices. These two options are not lost on Marcella Azucar, a resident of the Mission Bay, and mother of a 4th grader. "Families enter the lottery system, and only with multiple appeals over the decision of their assigned schools can parents have a say where their children attend school".
The prospect of offering music and physical education to so many of the mid and low-income residents also pleases Azucar who like all mothers admits she has so little in the way of choices.
As reported earlier in the Potrero View, a local newspaper, funding for the campus is secured by part of a $100 million set-aside for school construction in Bayview and Mission Bay. The money comes from a $744 million facilities bond City voters approved in 2016. In addition, these bond funds can also be allocated to build below market rate housing for teachers.
The San Francisco Unified School District plans many more meetings with pubic input to help determine the selection of the design firm, and review planned student enrollment. Construction on the yet unnamed school is scheduled for mid-2021 with a planned opening date of 2023.
As reported earlier in the Potrero View, a local newspaper, funding for the campus is secured by part of a $100 million set-aside for school construction in Bayview and Mission Bay. The money comes from a $744 million facilities bond City voters approved in 2016. In addition, these bond funds can also be allocated to build below market rate housing for teachers.
The San Francisco Unified School District plans many more meetings with pubic input to help determine the selection of the design firm, and review planned student enrollment. Construction on the yet unnamed school is scheduled for mid-2021 with a planned opening date of 2023.
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