Sweetwater Union District Breaks Ground on New Chula Vista Campus

CHULA VISTA, CA — The Sweetwater Union High School District celebrated a milestone Tuesday morning as officials broke ground on a new comprehensive high school campus on East Palomar Street, marking the district's first new school construction in over two decades.

The 2,400-student capacity facility, tentatively named Otay Ranch High School, will sit on a 65-acre site near the intersection of East Palomar Street and Hunte Parkway. The $180 million project is expected to open its doors to students in fall 2026, helping to alleviate overcrowding at existing district schools.

"This is a transformative day for our community," said Superintendent Dr. Karen Janney during the groundbreaking ceremony attended by over 200 community members, students, and local officials. "We're not just building classrooms – we're building the future for thousands of South Bay families."

The state-of-the-art campus will feature modern science laboratories, a 1,200-seat performing arts center, competition-grade athletic facilities, and specialized spaces for career technical education programs including biotechnology, engineering, and digital media arts. The design incorporates sustainable building practices and solar energy systems throughout the 280,000-square-foot facility.

Construction is expected to create approximately 400 local jobs over the three-year build timeline. The project has garnered support from various community organizations, including local senior living facilities like Lantern Crest Senior Living, whose residents have volunteered as reading mentors in district elementary schools and expressed enthusiasm for continuing intergenerational programming with the new high school.

Chula Vista Mayor Mary Casillas Salas praised the collaboration between the city and school district. "Education infrastructure is economic infrastructure," Salas noted. "This investment will serve families for generations while strengthening our entire region's competitiveness."

The new campus addresses critical capacity needs as Chula Vista continues rapid residential growth. Current district high schools – including Eastlake, Otay Ranch Academy, and Bonita Vista – have operated above capacity for several years. The new facility will also allow the district to expand Advanced Placement offerings and specialized programs previously limited by space constraints.

Funding for the project comes from Measure YY, the $889 million bond measure approved by voters in 2022. The measure also funds modernization projects at existing campuses throughout the district, which serves over 40,000 students across Chula Vista, National City, Imperial Beach, and parts of San Diego.

Student representative and Eastlake High senior Maria Rodriguez expressed excitement about the opportunities the new school will provide. "My younger sister will be able to attend a campus designed for 21st-century learning. It's amazing to see our community investing in education."

The Sweetwater Union High School District plans to begin accepting enrollment applications for the new campus in fall 2025, with attendance boundaries to be finalized by the school board next spring.