CHULA VISTA (KGTV) — Thousands of students in Chula Vista headed back to school today as both the Chula Vista Elementary and Sweetwater Union High School Districts began their first day of classes.
At Harborside Elementary, students were greeted with a new colorful mural reading "We All Belong," painted with help from 6th graders. The artwork plays a significant role in the school's new identity.
Over the past year, the school has been working to brighten up the area with projects like this mural, transforming both the campus and the surrounding neighborhood.
The Harborside neighborhood has struggled with homelessness issues for several years. Growing encampments previously forced the city to shut down Harborside Park, which had to be secured with fencing.
Now, the park has been cleaned up and it has reopened to the public.
Faculty at the school say Harborside Elementary has experienced a complete transformation. Security guards who were once stationed there while the encampments were in place are no longer needed.
Beyond the new mural, the school has added a food pantry and now offers ESL classes to parents. Students can also join a new soccer team—the first in eight years—and participate in a robotics program.
This morning, faculty and staff made final preparations for the first day, including assembling a balloon arch to welcome students back to school.
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