Public School for San Diego's Homeless Youth Breaks Ground on New Campus

RALEIGH, NC, February 24, 2012 (Press-News.org) Monarch School, a San Diego public K-12 school for children impacted by homelessness, broke ground on a new campus Feb. 16, unveiling plans for a new school that will allow it to serve more than 350 children daily, double its current student population. Kicking off a massive remodel of a 51,000-square-foot warehouse in East Village, the event was attended by more than 340 guests from the San Diego community, including Mayor Jerry Sanders, mayoral candidate Bonnie Dumanis, county Supervisor Greg Cox, nearly half the San Diego City Council and San Diego County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Randy Ward.

BYCOR General Contractors, a long-time supporter of Monarch, is managing the renovation, with construction expected to be completed in the fall of 2012. Monarch School's new campus is located on more than 2.2 acres just south of Petco Park, at 1625 Newton Ave.

"All of Monarch School's Board of Directors, staff and students couldn't be more thrilled for the groundbreaking of our new campus," said Erin Spiewak, CEO of Monarch School. "The new campus will not only allow us to help so many more children, but it will also provide the state-of-the-art learning environment imperative for the success of our students."

Monarch School's current facility is located in Little Italy and is only 10,000 square feet. Filled by about 150 students and 45 staff members daily, the building is at capacity. Classrooms are doubled up with two grade levels each, services like eye exams and tutoring are held in the middle of the hall/lobby, and the only outdoor area, a minimal 5,000 square feet, is a catch-all used for the cafeteria, gym, auditorium, study hall and more.

The current building also limits the number of students Monarch can help, at a time when the need is greater than ever. According to the foster youth/homeless services department at the San Diego County Office of Education, homeless students in San Diego County totaled 15,870 for the 2010-2011 school year, about 2,000 students greater than the year prior.

Spiewak continued, "These children face obstacles most of us cannot even imagine. It's vital that we provide an environment where they feel safe and accepted, and where they can receive additional programs to help break the cycle of homelessness. Monarch School is exceptionally grateful for the donations we've already received to help make that possible, and for the continued support of the San Diego community."

Specifically, the school would like to thank the following major donors from the San Diego area for their generous support:
• Bosa Development ($1.5 million gift)
• Avelino and Mary Alice Gonsalves ($1 million)
• The Tilbury family and Bluepoint Solutions ($500,000)
• US Bank ($500,000)
• Dickinson Family Foundation ($250,000)
• The Manchester Family ($250,000)
• OliverMcMillan ($200,000)
• The McPherson Family ($75,000)

Additionally, the groundbreaking event was made possible thanks to Ace Parking for providing complimentary valet services, Farmers Insurance for providing lunch from its Farmers Mobile Claims Center bus, and Blueprint Cafe for providing refreshments.

To date, Monarch School has raised $9.3 million to help build the new school. It is now in the final phase of fundraising efforts to reach the $14.2 million goal. The school needs the community's help to finish the project debt-free and to provide San Diego's homeless students with the school they deserve. Interested individuals can learn more about opportunities to donate or volunteer by visiting http://monarchschools.org , facebook.com/monarchschool or twitter.com/SanDiegoMonarch.

Images from the groundbreaking ceremony available on request.

About Monarch School:
Founded in 1988, Monarch School, located in downtown San Diego, is a public K-12 school exclusively for students who are at-risk and impacted by homelessness. Monarch School represents a unique public-private partnership between the San Diego County Office of Education and the Monarch School Project, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. Today, 150 students between the ages of 4 and 19 are enrolled. Monarch School's committed team of educators, support staff and volunteers is dedicated to providing homeless and at-risk children with an accredited education while caring for their basic needs. Monarch School will break ground on its new campus in downtown San Diego in early 2012. For more information, visit http://monarchschools.org or call (619) 237-7678.