CHULA VISTA, Calif. — Improvements are coming to Castle Park High School in Chula Vista.
The Sweetwater Union High School District just announced they will break ground on a state-of-the-art football stadium complex in June.
"I never doubted that we could, you know, get our message through to the district," said senior Adrian Gomez.
For nearly two years, Gomez has been part of the effort to improve conditions on campus. CBS 8 first interviewed Gomez when he was a sophomore.
At that time, he described some of what students deal with on a daily basis.
“There's cracks in windows, really old drinking fountains that nobody uses,” said Gomez.
Those concerns, as well as others were often showcased on an Instagram page called "Save CP Now." That included the outdated football field, which has patches of torn up grass, unlike most schools, which have nice turf.
“It's a 42 million dollar project and it's going to take about 18 months for completion,” said Nadege Johnson, spokesperson for the Sweetwater Union High School District.
Johnson provided renderings showing what the final product will look like. It's being financed through bonds.
Students like Gomez, as well as community members said it’s about time.
"It's sad for them to go play at another school that's got these beautiful facilities. And then they get to come home to their home field,” said Jacinto Perez, Castle Park's sports announcer.
Perez believes the reason Castle Park has long been ignored is because there are fewer tax dollars available in the neighborhood it’s in, and there's not as much parent participation compared to other schools.
"Unfortunately for the kids who are at Castle Park, even though they play their hearts out, and they wear their uniforms with pride, and they show up to play hard every time they play, the facilities are just not up to snuff," said Perez.
Perez applauds those students who spoke up. But, according to the district, the stadium had been in works long before their advocacy campaign.
They do however acknowledge student voices did lead to other improvements such as new exterior paint and windows.
Also, there are future plans for a new quad and two-story classroom building, requests made by students. That project is slated to begin next November.
Since Gomez is graduating soon, he won't be around to enjoy it all, but says that was never the point.
“Our generation is really happy that we can leave the future generations with something to be proud of," said Gomez.
During construction of the stadium, Johnson says the Athletics Department will work with school administrators to support practice and competition needs at Castle Park, and other school sites as needed.
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