The elementary school years are this precious, brief, moment in time, when our children can truly play. It’s how they learn, it’s how they grow, and it’s how they explore the world around them. For generations of children, Del Mar Heights School has provided a sprawling, safe, beautiful, open space for them to do just that: Play, both during school hours and after the school day ends. June 11, 2020 is the day that magic is scheduled to come to an end. 

And why? Our school already has ocean views. Will the views somehow be better because more of it can be seen through glass windows instead of from an open field? Will our kids perceive some ambiguous benefit from taking almost half an acre from their needed, open field and gifting it away to the community? Will the additional acre of asphalt and parking make up to our children for the lost acre of open play space that our children, and generations of children, have always played on? Who is this school being built for? Because it is not being built for the children.

This new school design does not reflect the values of the Del Mar community. I think that everyone can agree that our children’s safety is our highest priority. We can also all agree that our school has wonderful, brilliant, amazing teachers and we need to build a new school that enables those teachers to provide our children with an exceptional education. But the people in this community also prioritize and value the magic of childhood and the magic of open, recreational space. A huge part of the magic of Del Mar Heights School has always been about bringing the magic of childhood and the magic of that sprawling, open field together. 

If we don’t ALL stand together NOW, that magic will be gone FOREVER.

Attend the DMUSD Board of Trustees Meeting with me this Wednesday, December 18th 5:45 p.m. located at 11232 El Camino Real #100, San Diego, CA 92130.  There’s no obligation to speak, just support us.

Nicole Pentheroudakis