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As the students of San Juan School dutifully carried their chairs out to the blacktopped playground for an assembly, they were perhaps more excited about the promised unveiling of the new school mascot than they were about the 15 gold shovels leaning against a nearby picnic table, ready for their photo op.
The adults, on the other hand, had gathered for the long-awaited groundbreaking, marking the start of construction on the new San Juan School campus, which will begin this week with final preparatory site work followed by the demolition of a few selected classrooms. The preparatory work will continue through the summer break, and construction will be done in tandem with the upcoming school year.
“It’s exciting and it’s been a long time coming,” Principal Ethan Stocks told BenitoLink. “When I took this job, they told me this project was imminent, and tomorrow I will finish my third year here. So this is a special day.”
Besides the entire student body, guests included the Aromas-San Juan Unified School District Board of Trustees, District teachers and staff, local and state officials, and representatives of Aedis Architecture, which designed the new school, as well as Dilbeck and Sons, which is handling the first phase of construction.
In his address, Stocks said that the groundbreaking marks a new chapter in the school’s history, one he characterized as filled with opportunity, innovation, and promise for the students, teachers, staff, and school community.
“Our new school will not only be a building of bricks and mortar,” he said, “it will be a place where young minds will grow and strong futures will take root. To the students, you are the reason we’re here. Your dreams, your ideas, and your energy are what will bring this place to life.”
In her speech, District Superintendent Barbara Dill-Varga reminded students that California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas is a graduate of San Juan School, which she said shows what is possible when education is grounded in service to the community.
“This is the community that we must remember to thank today,” she said, “for they voted and passed Measure O and Measure D, the funding sources for rebuilding San Juan School. Dear community, your belief in our children and their future is what has brought us today.”
Current school board president and former San Juan School teacher Anissa Dizon called the school her second home, saying she had fond memories of teachers, coaches, staff and students who had a profound impact on her.
“Their influence is rooted in the grounds of this school,” she said, “and continues to live on in the hearts of all who passed through. Let it serve as a reminder that we’re not just building a new school; we’re investing in opportunity, growth, and the future of you, our scholars.”
Following the groundbreaking, where the gathered officials marshalled their best efforts at overturning the dirt with their gold shovels, Stocks introduced the new mascot, chosen by the students, who will now be known as the “Mountain Lions,” rather than the “Padres.”
San Juan Mayor Lesie Jordan said that she loved hearing the roar of the students when the new mascot was announced.
“I’m sad for the old Padres,” she said, “but I am super thrilled for this amazing new chapter. I’m so excited for these kids to have a new school, a beautiful school for beautiful minds.”
Measure O, a $30.5 million bond passed in 2020, will provide the majority of the funding for the school reconstruction, according to Dill-Varga. Funds from Measure D, a $44 million bond approved in November 2024, will make up the differences between the original cost estimates and the increase in construction costs as well as the impact of the current tariffs.
Principal Ethan Stocks and students bringing chairs to the ceremony. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Gold shovels for the groundbreaking ceremony. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Principal Ethan Stocks speaks in front of dignitaries. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Principal Ethan Stocks speaks to the assemblage. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Principal Ethan Stocks breaking ground. Photo by Robert Eliason. 
Mountain Lion drawings by students at San Juan School. Photo by Robert Eliason.
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