Morongo Unified School District Superintendent Tom Baumgarten has a vision that he believes will make the district more relevant to Morongo Basin residents’ lives. Reporter David Haldane explains…
Lots of folks have been walking in and out of Yucca Valley’s Town Center Mall lately. What’s strange is that most are visiting nearly 30,000 square feet of empty space.
The vacant offices and classrooms comprise the former home of Hope Academy. They also form the basis for school superintendent Tom Baumgarten’s latest dream; filling them with something he calls the Academy of College and Career Excellence.
The idea is to train students and community members for careers in such fields as robotics, child development, culinary arts and pharmacy technology. The Morongo Unified School District has committed $300,000 worth of staffing to the project. And to interest potential partners with more, Baumgarten is conducting tours where he hopes to hold a soft opening as early as September.
The superintendent has a pretty clear vision of where his efforts are heading. “We’re building futures.”
