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Kirk also noted another thing that sets this school apart from others is the planned auto shop with fully functional car lifts. “Right now, it is planning on being implemented to the curriculum,” he added.
El Capitan will admit only freshmen and sophomore students its first year, 2013. All the students living in the school boundaries and are expected to attend have been notified recently by letters. There will be around 800 students the first year and by its third year, El Capitan will have a full freshman- through-senior student roster.
Teachers from other schools will migrate with the students. Michael Belluomini, the Director of Facilities Planning, said they’re not anticipating on hiring any new teachers, if any, but new staff, cafeteria and custodial jobs will be open.
[pullquote_left]The principal of El Capitan will be Anthony Johnson, a former Associate Principal of Merced High School. Cho- sen from a pool of applicants, he intends to help students to be productive citizens in the future and become leaders in whatever field they choose.[/pullquote_left]
El Capitan will offer the same sports as other high schools. It will have only junior varsity teams initially, but will offer varsity teams when the school has junior and seniors. The campus will have two junior varsity and one varsity baseball/softball field. There will also be two soccer fields and a football field surrounded by a clay track. A football stadium is planned for the distant future. El Capitain’s pool will be the same size as Golden Valley and Buhach’s pools, 30 meters by 25 yards with two diving boards.
The principal of El Capitan will be Anthony Johnson, a former Associate Principal of Merced High School. Cho- sen from a pool of applicants, he intends to help students to be productive citizens in the future and become leaders in whatever field they choose. Johnson explains, “we have a great leadership team of teachers and we are also reaching out to parents and the community to get their feedback on what types of programs and activities they would like to see in El Capitan. One thing we have right now planned are legitimate career pathways that culminate in certifications so that our students are truly career or college ready when they leave high school.”
There have been many questions regarding the funding for the new high school. Because of economic downturns in the past few years and the slashes to district budgets all over California, you may wonder where is the money coming from to build El Capitan. Why would the district choose to build a new high school during such financial hardship?
To answer the
questions, Belluomini
explained the state of
California provided a
grant strictly to pay for
the school on the basis
that the local community would match the
fund, and local citizens
agreed to tax themselves
through a bond measure. The state granted
$35 million, while the
community paid $45
million to match the
budget for the new high
school.
