It’s been a long time coming, but the rural community of North Shore will finally welcome students to its first and only elementary school on Wednesday, Aug. 20 for the 2025-26 school year.
North Shore Elementary School, a 60,895-square-foot campus located at 96-100 70th St. in Mecca, will serve pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, with a maximum capacity of 500 students.
“This is more than just a school building, it’s a blessing,” Superintendent Frances Esparza said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 11. “It’s a symbol of of hope, perseverance and unity.”
Coachella Valley Unified School District initially broke ground on the site in October 2022.
Esparza thanked the educators who committed to being part of the new chapter for North Shore, along with the families who advocated for the school’s construction.
One of those parent advocates, Conchita Pozar, said parents had been pushing for North Shore Elementary since 2009. And though their children may no longer need to attend the school, they believe “it is very important that our community prospers,” she said in Spanish.
“This school sets a great example for us as a community (and) as parents that advocacy with patience, perseverance and resilience pays off,” Pozar said. Her daughter, Lesly, an incoming third grader, also shared her enthusiasm for the new school.
For years, students were bused at least 45 minutes to either Saul Martinez Elementary or Mecca Elementary schools, which enrolled 977 and 703 students, respectively, in 2023-24, the latest figures from the California School Dashboard.
Plans for the school date back to 2005, Trustee Joey Acuña Jr. said, as part of the Measure D funds — a $250 million bond measure approved by CVUSD voters for facility improvements. (The bond funds also financed the construction of a new campus for Palm View Elementary School in Coachella — which, at the time, was the oldest school in the district.)
Instead, Acuña said, the timeline for North Shore Elementary was pushed back in 2015 after the then-school board decided to build the district office, which had been housed in temporary facilities. He and former board member Blanca Hall voted against the new complex, arguing the funds should have been used to remodel older schools. At the time, Hall allocated $25 to $30 million for each project to ensure the money could not be used for other purposes, he said. The pandemic, too, caused delays.
“Here we are, finally, after, one would say, 20 years,” Acuña said. “I do want to thank this community for never letting us off the hook. I know we disappointed you many times, but I want to thank you for never stopping, for standing up and making sure your community was represented.”
North Shore Elementary’s construction totaled $56.8 million — funded by $30.2 million from Measure D and $26.6 million in developer fees. (Developer fees are charges on new residential and commercial projects used to fund school facilities on the premise that growth will bring more students.)
The 16-acre site features 26 classrooms spread across two buildings, plus an administration building and a multipurpose room connected with the kitchen. The library features modular lounge seating, while the classrooms are also equipped with modular furniture — and in some, teachers were seen already setting up for the school year.
The campus also includes an outdoor food shelter, a playground with athletic play courts and turf play fields, as well as themed outdoor learning spaces. The elementary school will serve as a gathering place for the community during times of need, such as power outages, Trustee Trinidad Arredondo said, functioning as a joint-use facility.
The new school, led by Elisa Gentry, the former principal of Saul Martinez Elementary, will open with 50 staff members — including 18 teachers, a resource teacher for specialized student support and two instructional coaches focused on math and literacy.
The school’s mascot, the monarch butterfly, was voted on by the community and symbolizes “transformation, resilience and growth,” she said.
“Just as a monarch butterfly embarks on an extraordinary journey every year, our students will embark on their own paths of learning and discovery — growing stronger, more confident and capable every day,” Gentry said.
Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: ‘Symbol of hope’: North Shore’s only elementary school set to open. Here’s a look
Reporting by Jennifer Cortez, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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