Grounds for Improvement

By Emily Abrishamkar

This school year Canyon Crest Academy welcomes a brand new track and athletic field. The 2013-2014 school year will bring many changes, including the introduction of new Principal Karl Mueller, and the recent athletic installments. The all-weather track, now nine lanes, and the artificial turf field are the first major developments of Proposition AA. The grand opening ceremony of the track and field was held Friday, September 27, when the field was christened by the girls’ field hockey team, by holding their first home game. The game was attended by several SDUHSD board members including Vice President Amy Herman, Trustee Joyce Dalessandro, Assistant Superintendent Eric Dill, Clerk Beth Hergesheimer, and President Barbara Groth. Our own CCA Foundation Athletic Programs Vice President, Karen Dillen, CCA Assistant Principal Jeff Copeland, and CCA Principal Karl Mueller also enjoyed the match. Fortunately, our CCA girls’ team beat San Dieguito Academy’s team, six to zero. Hopefully this victory sets a great precedent for future home games.

Despite the opening and completion of the track and field, prospects for this years’ seniors graduating in the stadium are looking slim. Construction of the full fledged CCA stadium should be finished early in the 2014-2015 school year. The track and field are just the first of many more athletic projects still to come. Within the next month, work will begin on the stadium and concession stands, in addition to lacrosse, soccer, baseball, and softball fields. CCA’s sports fields are definitely getting elevated with the implementation of these new facilities, and if all goes well CCA teams will win more CIF championships.

Since CCA is the newest school built in the San Dieguito Union High School District, our campus was only partially completed. Thanks to Prop AA, our campus will receive the much needed finishing touches, specifically the athletic fields. Prop AA, passed in November 2012, is a $449 million dollar bond essentially designated to afford the improvements of schools in the San Dieguito Union High School District. SDUHSD’s “master plan” for CCA includes eventually expanding our campus to increase the enrollment. The bond also lends itself to establishing a middle school neighboring CCA in the future.

CCA is famous for its academics, and for having the highest API score in the history of San Diego County. Our athletics, however, were believed to be a secondary priority. Rival schools in our district, particularly Torrey Pines High School, haven’t recognized us as true athletic competitors due to our not having a football team and substandard facilities. The new developments are guaranteed to make other schools envious, giving us the best academics and the best athletics.