By SDCN Editor
San Diego, CA–Kearny High School’s latest phase in its campus transformation is officially underway.
On Monday, students joined district leaders for a groundbreaking ceremony that kicked off with a display of colors from the Kearny High Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and a performance from the cheer team.
The ceremony marked the start of construction on the school’s next wave of its Whole Site Modernization project, which will construct a new two-story classroom and student services facility, modernize nine classrooms and the student dining area, renovate the softball field, create some outdoor collaborative learning spaces, remove all portable classrooms, and enhance school security.
“At San Diego Unified, we are committed to creating schools where all students feel seen and heard, where they can thrive, and where they feel a sense of belonging,” said Dr. Lamont Jackson, San Diego Unified School District Superintendent. “Kearny High represents those values.”
Located along Komet Way, the new building replaces the aging student services facility. It will serve as the main campus entryway and include a lobby, student support spaces, classrooms, collaborative workspaces, and modern security technology.
Classroom modernizations include new furniture, flooring, door hardware, sinks, whiteboards, and technology upgrades. Outdoor improvements include new collaborative learning spaces, upgraded signage and exterior paint, and new fencing and gates to direct visitors to the secure main campus entryway.
Since 2010, Kearny High has received a series of bond-funded upgrades, including college, career, and technical facilities for arts, media, and entertainment, and a new engineering innovation design lab. Additional upgrades were made to the athletic fields, the elevator and press box, and gymnasium bleachers. Energy sustainability was also enhanced with the installation of solar photovoltaic panels.
“It’s so wonderful to see all the work that has been and continues to be done for Kearny High School,” said Sabrina Bazzo, Board of Education Trustee for San Diego Unified. “We are so thankful for the local voters who passed our bond measures – you are forever changing the lives of our students.”
The Kearny High Educational Complex offers schools of biomedical science and technology, college connections, digital media and design, and engineering, design, and innovation. Nationally recognized by EdSource as one of the most successful implementations of high school reform, Kearny High has served the Kearny Mesa, Linda Vista, and Serra Mesa communities for more than 80 years.
In recent years, Kearny High School has received numerous accolades. A California Distinguished and Blue Ribbon School, Kearny has been recognized three times with a Title I Academic Achievement Award and was one of twelve schools nationwide to be named America’s Best Urban School by the National Center for Urban School Transformation. It has also been featured in a case study by the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools.
“As a Kearny High administrator, I have worked with an incredible team to transform and reform this school to what it is today,” said Ana Diaz-Booz, Principal of Kearny High School. “This project will only continue our vision of transformation.”
Construction on the current project is estimated to be completed in the winter of 2026.
