FONTANA, CA – Fontana Unified staff, community members and dignitaries gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction on a new 150,000-square-foot District middle school in the north end of Fontana on Nov. 14.

A Fontana Unified School District banner reading “New Foundations, Endless Possibilities” served as the backdrop for the event, as residents neighboring the construction site at Citrus Avenue and Casa Grande Avenue walked up to witness the ceremony and view renderings of the new school that will accommodate up to 1,200 students.

“It will be a state-of-the-art educational facility with a focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This new middle school will truly be the heart of this neighborhood as it grows and prospers,” Fontana Unified Superintendent Miki R. Inbody said. “We know that Fontana is a fast-growing region and we are so grateful to have this opportunity to break ground on a new middle school that’s much-needed on this end of Fontana.”

Project construction is set to begin in January 2024 with an expected completion date of August 2026, with Ruhnau Clarke Architects and contractor Balfour Beatty on board. The project will be partially funded by the Measure C Bond passed by District voters in November 2006.

Among the esteemed dignitaries who attended the groundbreaking were City of Fontana Mayor Pro Tem Peter A. Garcia, City Councilmembers John B. Roberts, Jesse Sandoval, Phillip W. Cothran and Treasurer Janet Koehler-Brooks; Fontana Unified Board of Education President Marcelino “Mars” Serna and Board members Joe Armendarez, Dr. Jennifer Quezada and Mary Sandoval; and representatives from the offices of Senator Richard Roth, Congresswoman Norma Torres, San Bernardino County Supervisor Jesse Armendarez and San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Ted Alejandre.

Fontana Unified’s new middle school will help prevent overcrowding and ensure all students have access to small class sizes and high-quality academic instruction as the District strives to meet the growing needs of Fontana, where new housing is under development and new families continue to move into the community, including blocks away from the construction site up and down Citrus Avenue.

The school is designed as a three-in-one facility, serving as a school, community engagement hub and gallery space that honors the history of Fontana and displays innovative student projects that offer solutions to real-world problems. The construction plans include science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) labs/maker spaces, robotics/fabrication and prototype labs, media production studios, outdoor learning spaces, a graphic design studio, a research hub and study lounge and a gymnasium.

“This truly is a comprehensive facility we are excited to see come up out of the ground and serve the needs of Fontana Unified,” Ruhnau Clarke Architects President and Principal Roger Clarke said. “The middle school students here will have a very unique education and that’s a testament to everyone who has been a part of this project.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

FUSD_GROUNDBREAKING1: From left, Fontana Unified School District Board of Education member Joe Armendarez, Superintendent Miki R. Inbody, Board President Marcelino “Mars” Serna and Board members Mary Sandoval and Dr. Jennifer Quezada break ground on a new middle school. The 150,000-square-foot middle school will accommodate up to 1,200 students and is located on the north end of Fontana at Citrus Avenue and Casa Grande Avenue.

FUSD_GROUNDBREAKING2: Fontana Unified Superintendent Miki R. Inbody speaks to a crowd of District staff, dignitaries and community members at a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction on a new District middle school. Construction is set to begin in January 2024, with an expected completion date of August 2026.

FUSD_GROUNDBREAKING3: Fontana Unified’s new middle school is designed as a three-in-one facility, serving as a school, community engagement hub and gallery space that honors the history of Fontana and displays innovative student projects that offer solutions to real-world problems. The construction plans include science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) labs/maker spaces, robotics/fabrication and prototype labs, media production studios, outdoor learning spaces, a graphic design studio, a research hub and study lounge and a gymnasium.

VIDEO FILE:

Raw video highlights of Fontana Unified School District’s groundbreaking of a new middle school on the north end of Fontana can be found and downloaded here.