69视频 to Host Groundbreaking Ceremony for Construction of New Oak Ridge Elementary in Sacramento鈥檚 Oak Park Neighborhood
Third of three new campuses to be built; made possible by voter approved funding from Measure H
WHAT: Groundbreaking ceremony to mark the
beginning of construction of a new, state-of-the-art campus to
replace the aging facility.
WHEN: Thursday, September 14 at 10:00am
WHERE: Oak Ridge Elementary, 4501 Martin Luther
King Jr Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95820
VISUALS: Elected and school officials will break
ground with a shovel ceremony and make remarks. Students will be
on hand for the event including a 2nd Grader who will be young
enough to return to the school when the brand new campus re-opens
in Fall 2025.
Sacramento, CA - Sacramento City Unified School District will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, September 14, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. to begin construction of a new campus at the site of Oak Ridge Elementary School. The new Oak Ridge Elementary will be among the first new schools constructed in Sac City Unified in nearly two decades and reflects the District鈥檚 unwavering commitment to equity. When completed in Fall 2025, the ultramodern campus will feature an oversized multipurpose room, a STEAM lab, a community room, several shade canopies, a U14 soccer field, and an overall focus on energy efficiency and environmental conservation.
The age, location and demographics of the school were all key factors in the District鈥檚 decision to construct a new campus. Originally called Fruit Ridge School, Oak Ridge Elementary was officially annexed into 69视频 in 1958. It was built on a plot of land where a large, lone oak tree grew, so upon annexation, the name was changed to Oak Ridge. This school has many students whose families have attended the same site for generations. Despite all efforts to preserve the old oak tree, it must be removed to make way for the new building and a new mature oak tree will be transplanted into the center of the new campus. The oak tree鈥檚 legacy to the campus and neighborhood will be acknowledged as part of the ceremony.
This is the third of three campus rebuilds that will begin this calendar year. Similar groundbreakings were held on June 5 at Edward Kemble/Cesar Chavez, and June 9 at Nicholas Elementary. These campuses were specifically chosen for improvements based on high segregation and poverty indicators and other factors identified by Sac City Unified鈥檚 Facilities Master Plan Equity Index that can be found at .
鈥淭his groundbreaking ceremony at Oak Ridge Elementary celebrates more than the buildings to come, but also the student achievement and possibilities this project will bring to the Oak Park neighborhood.鈥 said Lisa Allen, Interim Superintendent, 69视频. 鈥淚 thank the voters for their continued support of Sac City Unified鈥檚 efforts to equitably to lift, inspire, and transform the lives of the students in our community.鈥
鈥淭oday鈥檚 groundbreaking, as we begin construction here at Oak Ridge Elementary, is but one step of many which signifies the goal of the Sacramento City Unified school district to continue our commitment to identify, confront, and interrupt inequity by design,鈥 said Lavinia Grace Phillips, 69视频 Board Vice President and Trustee Area 7. 鈥淚 am filled with joy for the Oak Park community and for its scholars who rightfully deserve fair, just, and increased opportunities steeped in equitable practices, to learn, grow, and reach their greatness.鈥
鈥淭he new Oak Ridge Elementary is a strategic and important investment in the Oak Park community by both our school district and the voters who made this funding possible,鈥 said Chinua Rhodes, 69视频 Board President. 鈥淭his is such an exciting moment for the future of our district as we continue to explore ways to make more equitable investments and uplift more Sacramento families.鈥
The beginning of construction is the culmination of years of strategic planning and community collaboration, beginning with the passage of Measure H by Sacramento voters in March of 2020. The $750 million general obligation bond provided Sac City Unified with the funding to begin making some of the estimated $4.4 billion in facilities needs identified across the district.
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