Officials break ground on Esencia K-8, the first public school in Rancho Mission Viejo

RANCHO MISSION VIEJO Martha McNicholas, president of the Capistrano Unified School District board, stood at the podium in a dirt field in Rancho Mission Viejo’s Esencia neighborhoods, sharing her excitement about what was to come.

As she spoke about the start of construction for the Esencia K-8 School, with shovels standing upright in the dirt behind her and to her right, she noticed a little boy in the audience getting a head start.

“I know we all can’t wait, especially the one there who is already doing the groundbreaking,” McNicholas joked. “He’s got his own shovel and he’s a little ahead of schedule. I hope we’re going to be ahead of schedule.”

Officials and families braved light morning showers Tuesday, May 9 to usher in the beginning of construction for Capistrano Unified’s 63rd school, which is scheduled to open to students in August 2018.

The school will feature state-of-the-art technology and facilities, including a modular Innovation Center and technologically advanced classrooms with integrated WiFi, sound and projector systems to create a more dynamic learning experience, officials said.

“We have big plans for Esencia School and for the students who will fill these classrooms in the fall of 2018 and beyond,” said Kirsten Vital, Capistrano Unified superintendent.

Students will also have school-time access to the Pavilion, an expansive recreational area with a gymnasium, tot lot, playground, athletic fields and picnic pavilion with outdoor grills and restrooms. It will also include regulation-sized basketball courts and stadium seating for 300.

That project, adjacent to the school site, is scheduled for completion in summer 2018, according to a Rancho Mission Viejo release.

Those facilities will be maintained by the Rancho Mission Viejo master maintenance corporation and will also be available to residents in Rancho Mission Viejo during non-school use hours, said Don Vodra, president and chief operating officer of Rancho Mission Viejo LLC.

“With our shared use agreement in place for The Pavilion, the school will highlight the innovation and collaboration which form the foundation of our long-term relationship with the District,” Vodra said during his comments.

“We wanted this to be the heart and soul of the community,” he added after the presentation.

The school will be the first in the Rancho Mission Viejo community. Currently, Rancho Mission Viejo students attend Las Flores Elementary and Middle School and either Tesoro High or San Juan Hills High, district officials said in a release.

The school will sit on 14 acres on the east side of the Esencia neighborhoods. Esencia will be the first school built by the district since San Juan Hills High in neighboring San Juan Capistrano, which opened to students in 2007.

Josh Wellickson, principal at Don Juan Avila Middle School in Aliso Viejo, was recently named the first principal of Esencia K-8, starting January 2018. At the ceremony, he spoke of his experience in helping to open a school 14 years ago as a parent and teacher.

“I felt like I was a part of something special,” Wellickson said. “Today brings up those same fond memories of working side by side with my neighbors, setting a vision and mission for our children.

“We’ll build a culture where our children feel cared for and connected with, our community feels welcomed and valued. My hope is that Esencia becomes a centerpiece of the Rancho Mission Viejo community.”

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