Groundbreaking Ceremony for Rienda School in Rancho Mission Viejo

The groundbreaking ceremony for Rienda School marks a significant investment in local education.

News Summary

Rancho Mission Viejo has broken ground on the new Rienda School, set to accommodate students from transitional kindergarten to eighth grade. Designed for up to 1,600 students, the school will open in fall 2027 as the second educational facility in the community, following Esencia School. With an estimated cost of $79 million funded by developer fees, the building will feature innovative learning spaces, technology integration, and outdoor facilities, addressing the needs of an expanding population in the area.

Rancho Mission Viejo recently marked a significant milestone with the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Rienda School, designed to accommodate students from transitional kindergarten through eighth grade. The Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) anticipates that the school will open its doors by the fall of 2027.

The new Rienda School will be situated on a nearly 15-acre site between Coyotes and Pablo Way, just north of Saddle Way. The campus is set to accommodate up to 1,600 students and will be a vital addition to the rapidly growing community. This will be the second school constructed in Rancho Mission Viejo, following the opening of Esencia School in 2018.

Costing an estimated $79 million, the project will be funded through developer fees and state matching dollars, ensuring that it will not necessitate any financial burden on the school district. The school project received unanimous approval from the school board, confirming collaboration between Capistrano Unified and Swinerton Builders to realize the vision for Rienda School.

Rienda School is designed to foster adaptability and incorporate cutting-edge technology into the learning environment. It will house an Innovation Center, which will include a robotics lab, makerspace, wireless technology, and flexible seating arrangements. Classrooms will be equipped with state-of-the-art teaching walls and interactive mounted displays to enhance teaching and learning experiences.

In addition to regular classrooms, the campus will feature a variety of spaces for performing arts, teacher meetings, outdoor learning, and lockers, promoting a well-rounded educational setting. The innovative design emphasizes flexible teaching methods and breakout sessions to support diverse learning needs.

The district’s facilities master plan stipulates that new transitional kindergarten to eighth-grade campuses must serve at least 1,200 students, with the capacity to expand to 1,600 through the use of relocatable classrooms. This foresight is crucial given the increasing student population in the area, particularly as Capistrano Unified has recently added 400 temporary seats at Esencia TK-8 to accommodate rising enrollment from the Rienda community.

The increasing population in Rancho Mission Viejo indicates a growing demand for educational infrastructure. The Rienda community itself is expected to eventually encompass about 6,000 acres and include 14,000 homes, with a portion designated for residents aged 55 and older. Alongside the school, Rancho Mission Viejo also plans to construct a 6-acre joint-use park adjacent to the campus, which will feature youth athletic fields, picnic areas, and walking trails, further enhancing community amenities.

The Rienda School will also serve as a feeder educational institution for Tesoro High School, following the same model established by Esencia TK-8. As the largest school district in Orange County with an enrollment exceeding 47,000 students across 63 campuses, CUSD is committed to meeting the needs of its diverse and growing student population.

The groundbreaking of Rienda School represents a substantial investment in the future of education for Rancho Mission Viejo and signifies a proactive approach to addressing the needs of local families and students.