On June 18, San Jacinto Unified School District (SJUSD) hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Monte Vista Middle School in San Jacinto, California. In attendance were HMC Architects’ Andrew Thompson and Julie Strauss. Also in attendance were SJUSD Board Members and Superintendent, staff, former and current Monte Vista Middle School teachers, and representatives from The County Office of Education and the City of San Jacinto.

The middle school will meet the growing needs of the San Jacinto community and prepare the district for future growth. With capacity for 1,200 students, the school will feature an administration building, media center, nextgen classrooms, teacher’s center, multipurpose room, and a gymnasium. Based on an interdisciplinary education model, we’ve designed “pods” of five to six classrooms to be grouped around a shared common space and arranged by grade level, allowing teachers to tailor education to common student groups. The school will be built on 25 acres of a 40-acre parcel, the remaining 15 acres are reserved for a future elementary school.

Monte Vista Middle School will open in Fall 2021.