FUSD Cuts Ribbon on Lila Bringhurst Elementary School

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On August 16, the Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) cut the ribbon on its first new school in 29 years: Lila Bringhurst Elementary School.

Located steps from the Warm Springs BART station in the Fremont Innovation District, the opening is the culmination of a years-long partnership between the school district, local government and developers to serve the area.

“Our partnership with the City of Fremont and developers made opening this school possible, and allowed us to serve this neighborhood with not only a local school, but also a community gathering place,” said FUSD Board President Dianne Jones. “This school demonstrates what we can achieve when local entities work together in support of students and families, with an eye toward the future we want to create for our community.”

Bringhurst’s inaugural classes began on August 17, 2022, with approximately 750 students from transitional kindergarten through grade 6.

“It’s the students’ arrival which I think is the key point in any venture, because until we fill a school with students, it is only a facility, it’s only a building. Once we fill a school with our students, and the love and compassionate care of our staff, and the heartbeat of our community and our parents and guardians, that is when it becomes a school, and that is when it becomes part of the community,” said FUSD Superintendent CJ Cammack during the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Construction on the campus began with a groundbreaking in 2017. The site consists of four buildings, with 45 classrooms and capacity to enroll 1,100 students. Construction was completed in November of 2020, as FUSD operated in a distance learning model due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am so excited to finally welcome students tomorrow, and to officially welcome our Bringhurst Blazers onto this beautiful campus,” said Principal Johanna White during the ribbon cutting ceremony.

In December 2018, White was chosen by FUSD’s Board of Education to serve as principal of Bringhurst upon its opening; the Board cited her experience, proven leadership and commitment to FUSD in its unanimous decision. White served as principal of Parkmont Elementary at the time of her appointment, and remained at Parkmont through the end of the 2021-2022 school year before transitioning to Bringhurst.

In January 2022, the Board voted to open Bringhurst for the 2022-2023 school year. In February 2022, FUSD’s Board of Education voted to unify the District’s Mandarin Immersion Program (MIP) at Bringhurst upon its opening in August 2022, bringing classes from Azevada and Blacow elementary schools together and providing room for the program to grow.

Bringhurst offers MIP classes in transitional kindergarten through grade 6, and traditional classes from TK to grade 5. MIP classes continue at Hopkins Junior High, then their assigned high school by home address; Bringhurst students not enrolled in MIP are in the attendance area for Walters Middle School and Kennedy High School.

The campus was first used as a temporary location for Hopkins Junior High in the 2021-2022 school year while the school’s Driscoll Road campus was under construction. Hopkins students returned to their home site for 2022-2023, while construction is scheduled to continue through the school year.

The Lila Bringhurst Community Park is adjacent to the Bringhurst campus; the joint use area shared by the District and the City of Fremont serves as a playground for Bringhurst students beginning 30 minutes before school through 30 minutes after instruction ends, and is otherwise accessible as a public park between sunrise and sunset. The school and park are intended to serve as a community hub unifying the urban, transit-oriented location.

The school and park are named in honor of Lila Bringhurst, a longtime resident of Fremont who served her community for decades by working tirelessly to protect its historic buildings and structures, serving with countless local organizations, boards and guilds, and volunteering her time to work with students and members of her community.

Learn more about Bringhurst's history here, and click here to visit the school's website.

 

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