San Diego Unified School District welcomed back U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten, Wednesday, as it dedicated the complete rebuild of Central Elementary and Wilson Middle schools.
The campuses collectively are now known as the George Walker Smith Education Complex. It is named after the first African American elected to office in San Diego County after he won a seat on the school board in 1963. That election victory marked the beginning of a distinguished career in education and leadership in the fight for civil rights.
“He set the path for many of us and we should not take that lightly, and so, I’m honored as a Black man ... as an educator to follow in those footsteps," said San Diego Unified School District Superintendent Lamont Jackson. He replaced Marten after she left for her appointment in the Biden Administration.
"San Diego and Central Elementary will always hold a special place in my heart, and to return to a campus that has been completely transformed is awe-inspiring," said Marten, former principal of Central Elementary.
"San Diego Unified's commitment to quality facilities that foster high-quality teaching and learning, its intentional involvement of staff, families, students, and neighbors in the design process, and the outcomes these projects are producing, demonstrate how the school district is raising the bar for its students."
Central Elementary upgrades include 26 new general-purpose classrooms, 14 specialized classrooms, a library learning center, a multipurpose room, an after-school program room, a community clinic, a health center, student services offices and three new play areas. Specialized classrooms include five kindergarten classrooms, five special education classrooms and four preschool classrooms.
"Bond funds have single-handedly transformed City Heights and communities within my district and beyond,'' said Richard Barrera, a board of education trustee. "We're transforming the lives of our students while also transforming communities at the same time," he said.
