Just two years after the completion of La Jolla Elementary School\u2019s whole-site modernization project, part of its grass field is in rough shape. But according to a spokesperson from San Diego Unified School District, help is on the way.<\/p>\n
The field received new sod and an asphalt running track around its perimeter as part of the school\u2019s modernization project, which was completed in fall 2024. The nearly $70 million project was made possible through Propositions S and Z, as well as Measures YY and U, all bond measures passed by San Diego voters between 2008 and 2022.<\/p>\n
But an issue with an irrigation isolation valve left half of the field un-watered and discolored, giving the appearance of it being nearly dead.<\/p>\n
That issue caught the eye of nearby resident Gregory Hall, who noticed the discolored grass a few months after the project was completed. Some of the dead grass can be attributed to seasonal change, but Hall reported a \u201cslow, predictable slide\u201d into its current condition.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy neighbors and I backed the bond that funded La Jolla Elementary\u2019s \u2026 modernization. We were excited to see the campus \u2014 including the rebuilt field \u2014 take shape,\u201d Hall said. \u201cBut when basic maintenance doesn\u2019t happen, the value of that investment (feels) essentially thrown away.\u201d<\/p>\n
Soon after, Samer Naji, facilities communications supervisor for SDUSD, told the La Jolla Light that SDUSD staff discovered the source of the problem was a valve that had been inadvertently closed.<\/p>\n
He said the valve has since been reopened and the irrigation system is now functioning properly. SDUSD staff have also installed locking hardware on the irrigation and isolation valves to prevent any unauthorized shut-offs.<\/p>\n
Naji said the root system of the grass appears viable and that the District does not anticipate a need for re-seeding the field.<\/p>\n
\u201cExtra watering cycles are being scheduled to help the turf recover, and staff will monitor the field and provide any additional maintenance needed to restore its condition,\u201d Naji said.<\/p>\n
LJES\u2019s modernization project encompassed months of extensive planning, a pandemic and more than three years of construction. This included a new two-story building featuring administrative offices, classrooms and more; additional kindergarten classrooms; a single entry point of entry on Girard Avenue; and playgrounds.<\/p>\n
At the time, then-LJES principal Stephanie Hasselbrink said \u201cevery part of our campus was touched \u2014 completely renovated or new.\u201d<\/p>\n
Outside of school hours, the La Jolla Elementary School campus hosts the La Jolla Open Aire farmers market on Sundays.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Just two years after the completion of La Jolla Elementary School\u2019s whole-site modernization project, part of its grass…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":422109,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[7,930,5184,6804,74,84,76,75],"class_list":["post-422108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-california","tag-la-jolla","tag-la-jolla-light","tag-la-jolla-light-news","tag-san-diego","tag-san-diego-county","tag-san-diego-headlines","tag-san-diego-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=422108"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422108\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/422109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=422108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=422108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=422108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}