Santa Margarita School Rededicated

The 800 students enrolled in on Camp Pendleton had reason to celebrate Thursday—their school was being rededicated after a $15-million renovation. 

The site looked like a new school on the old campus, which was built nearly a half-century ago.

Separate buildings for different functions—administration, library, multipurpose and kindergarten—are located throughout the campus. There is a muted color scheme of ochers, terra-cottas and soft greens.

Terry Jones, a consulting director of projects and construction management, called them “all the neutral colors” of a “river palette.”

Students have been back since the school year began in late August, but the rededication ceremony, originally planned for two weeks ago, was postponed because of the power outage that hit the region on the scheduled day.

The delay, however, gave the base commanding officer, Col. Nicholas Marano, an opportunity to participate.

“We're very happy that you guys have such an awesome school,” Marano told the student ambassadors who attended the half-hour program.

The students, he said later, had a long ride to Ditmar School near downtown Oceanside during the year's construction period and “are so excited to be back home on Camp Pendleton with the best teaching staff I've ever seen.”

Marano added that the new school is part of all the improvements being made on the base to better the lives of America's servicemen and women and their families.

Principal Pat Kurtz thanked the citizens of Oceanside for approving Proposition H in 2008. The bond measure provided up to $195 million for new construction and renovation of schools in the Oceanside Unified School District.

Larry Perondi, the superintendent of the district, which operates Santa Margarita, said, “There is not a better way to assist our Marines” than to improve their children's school.

What he saw inside the old Santa Margarita, Perondi said, was a lot of learning and “great kids,” but outside the classroom, the campus left much to be desired. For instance, he said, when he first visited the principal's office, “there was not room for a guy my size to sit down.” Perondi is 6 foot 3 inches tall.

Alpha Studio Design Group, whose principal, Paul Gallegos, was the primary architect of the new school, presented a check for $1,000, and Echo Pacific Construction Inc., which built it, provided $700 for playground equipment.

About 60 people, including Mayor Jim Wood, City Councilman Gary Felien and three members of the school board—Lillian Adams, Mike Blessing and Emily Ortiz Wichmann—attended the program. Fifth-grade student ambassadors Natalia Gonzalez, Lilly Lopez, Grace Farmer, J.J. Andrade, Ethan Trueblood and Tommy Bommarito gave short presentations from the stage.

“We love this school,” Natalia said.

Ann Givens, executive assistant to the superintendent, sang the national anthem, and members of the Junior ROTC at El Camino High School in Oceanside presented the colors.