Dr. Dre celebrated the opening of a brand new highschool campus on Thursday, Could 22, in his hometown of Compton — one which he helped carry to fruition.
The famend music producer, Andre “Dr. Dre” Younger, lower the ribbon on the brand new Compton Excessive College together with campus and Compton Unified College District officers throughout a ceremony on Thursday.
The state-of-the-art, $200 million campus replaces the earlier constructing — which was greater than 120 years outdated. College and district officers stated that it’s set to present college students a renewed place to study, develop and dream past any limits.
“(It represents) limitless pupil potential, making a spark that can ignite generations,” Compton Unified board President Micah Ali stated, “(be) a beacon of creativity and a launch pad for the leaders of tomorrow.”
Whereas the brand new faculty was beneath building, Compton Excessive college students attended lessons at a brief, former center faculty campus. The outdated Compton Excessive was demolished in 2019, and the redevelopment started.
The 31-acre campus, which is about to accommodate greater than 1,800 college students as soon as it opens for the 2025-26 faculty 12 months in August, boasts a half-size Olympic pool, a totally outfitted weight and exercise room, a greater than 140,000 square-foot tutorial constructing, a greater than 36,000 square-foot gymnasium and a virtually 41,000 square-foot performing arts middle.
The educational constructing is provided with science labs, a culinary area and far more. The campus panorama can be adorned with California native and adaptive crops.
Attendees obtained to tour the campus after the ceremony.
Younger made a $10 million donation to assist assemble the performing arts constructing, named The Andre “Dr. Dre” Younger Performing Arts Heart.
Inside the middle, there’s a full audio recording studio and digital music archive room, a theater with a concession and ticket sales space, a video manufacturing studio, choir room and extra.
(Photograph by Tyler Shaun Evains, Each day Breeze/SCNG)
“That is the kind of (faculty) constructing that I’d have beloved to go to once I was a child rising up,” Younger stated, expressing “how proud I’m of seeing my metropolis come via for this venture.”
The area was constructed to be a versatile studying atmosphere made for project-based studying, he added, and the recording studio and efficiency areas within the performing arts middle will present alternatives for not simply Compton Excessive college students, but in addition your complete Compton group.
“Compton is a breeding floor for expertise,” Younger stated. “There’s one thing within the soil right here; there’s one thing particular about rising up right here.”
That one thing, he stated, is what took him to the heights he’s reached in his profession.
“It’s a sure type of grit that will get cultivated (when) navigating these streets,” he stated, “and that grit carried me additional than I may ever think about.”
He’s excited, Younger added, to see the type of expertise that emerges when that grit is paired with the well-rounded training that future college students will get on the new Compton Excessive.
“Dream large; I did,” Younger stated. “I’m dwelling proof. I’m standing right here as literal proof that coming from Compton, there’s nothing that may cease me, and the whole lot and something is feasible.”
Sacramento Kings small ahead DeMar DeRozan, a Compton native who graduated from Compton Excessive College, additionally attended Thursday’s ceremony to rejoice the renewal of his former campus.
Music entrepreneur Jimmy Iovine, who’s opening a public highschool with Younger in Inglewood via their Iovine and Younger Training Group, attended as effectively.
Compton Unified College District board members, Compton Unified Superintendent Darin Brawley, CUSD govt cupboard members, the town’s mayor and councilmembers, CUSD college students, households, pals and Compton Excessive alumni additionally gathered for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Compton Unified board member Denzell Perry stated that celebrating the brand new campus means a lot to him, as a result of individuals doubted him all through his life as a result of he’s from Compton. He challenged the narrative that individuals should “make it out” of cities like his hometown to achieve success — and urged as we speak’s youth to additionally problem that concept.
“Don’t let anybody let you know what you may and can’t do,” Perry stated. “Outline your personal path and use this area to develop; training can change your trajectory.
Satra Zurita, vice chairman of CUSD’s board, stated that as a third-generation Compton Excessive alumna, she feels a private sense of pleasure seeing the campus remodel into one thing that can bolster college students’ futures for a lot of extra years to return.
“I’ve lived what so a lot of our college students reside; I do know what this faculty means and what it might do,” Zurita stated. “As we open the brand new campus, we rejoice not simply the brand new constructing, however a daring imaginative and prescient.” S: Each day Breeze
