Oro Grande School District breaks ground on multi-million dollar expansion project

Oro Grande School District students were among the first people invited to grab shovels and turn dirt during a groundbreaking ceremony for the district's $65 million expansion project. 

On a chilly Wednesday afternoon, students, administrators, and contractors showed off the district’s multi-faceted CTE & Wellness Center Expansion project at Riverside Preparatory High School on National Trails Highway in Oro Grande.

The project site is affectionately known as “the farm,” because of the Atwood Homestead, where the area's first school building was erected in the late 1800s in the unincorporated community north of Victorville.

How big is Oro Grande School District expansion project?

District spokesman Kevin Trudgeon told the Daily Press the expansion project adjacent and south of the school campus will include a 40,000-square-foot, two-story main building.

The two-story structure will host the Health & Wellness Center, Career Technical Education Center, and Mojave River Academy classrooms.

Additionally, a 10,000-square-foot nutritional services kitchen, an 8,000-square-foot maintenance & operations/IT building, and baseball and softball fields.

“Our goal is to have the project completed sometime in 2026,” Trudgeon said. “Of course, certain aspects of the expansion project may be done sooner.”

'Historic moment'

Superintendent Derrick Delton told the audience the groundbreaking was a "historic moment" and the district was "filled with immense pride and gratitude."

Delton thanked students, families, staff, Bernards Construction Management team, and the Oro Grande School District Board of Trustees.

“Your patience, understanding, and unwavering support throughout this ambitious $65 million project have been nothing short of remarkable,” Delton said. “It is your resilience and commitment that have propelled us forward and brought us to this momentous juncture.”

Oro Grande School District's 140-year history

Board of Trustees Member Roberto Garcia Jr. spoke on behalf of the Oro Grande Elementary School District and the boards of directors of Riverside Preparatory and Mojave River Academy Schools.

“The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors created the Oro Grande School District on March 8, 1881,” Garcia said. “Here at this site, once the Atwood Homestead, the Oro Grande School District began educating children in 1883 with the Oro Grande School.  

Garcia explained that the simple schoolhouse preceded the purpose-built 1890 schoolhouse on the corner of Third and Meyer streets.

“The district began in a humble structure with a single teacher and less than 10 students,” Garcia said. “The district has since grown to staff nearly 500 employees entrusted with educating and caring for nearly 6000 students over multiple sites.”

In its 140th school year, the district proudly honors and celebrates its history, legacies, ideals, and traditions, while connecting them with the “visionary progress these new facilities exemplify and the programs they will offer,” Garcia said. 

Oro Grande School District's $65 million expansion project

Bernards Construction hired for Oro Grande School District expansion project

Vice President Shawn Shawmlou of the Los Angeles-based Bernards Construction also explained about the many meetings with the district and other agencies that led to the groundbreaking.

Some clients of Bernards Construction include the Cal State University and the University of California systems, Los Angeles Unified School District, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Knotts Berry Farm, and Legoland, California.

Bernards’ projects have received many awards, including work completed on the Pasadena Rose Bowl Renovation, Claremont McKenna College’s Kravis Center, and the Yorba Linda Library and Cultural Arts Center.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz