Excellence and Justice in Education Academies celebrated the grand opening of its newly constructed middle school building on Thursday, April 25 in El Cajon.
The two-story facility includes a 1,500-square-foot Makerspace/Alumni, College and Career Center and a dedicated music classroom equipped with an advanced acoustic system. The new building replaces the school’s former facilities, which were built in the 1940s and described as outdated and overcrowded.
“We are proud and excited for this new phase in our development, which will help bring equity in education for our students,” said the agency’s founder and trustee Eva Pacheco.
The project was funded through a $30 million combination of grant and loan support from the State of California. The structure was designed by award-winning architects to be energy- and water-efficient.
“This new school will open a door to an entirely new world of possibilities for our students,” said Jorge Flores, interim executive director of EJEA.
Founded in 2005, EJE Academies is a dual-language Spanish/English charter school that serves more than 800 students in transitional kindergarten through eighth grade. The school’s curriculum emphasizes bilingual education and social justice, with 92% of students coming from low-income households and 90% identifying as Latine.
EJE Academies originated from a parent-led advocacy group focused on expanding access to quality bilingual education in the region. The school currently has a waiting list of over 400 students.
The grand opening event was open to the public and featured live music and light refreshments.
For more information, visit www.ejeacademies.org.
