Milpitas Unified School District Receives $500k Grant for School Safety Measures

Rep. Khanna’s Office allocates funds for a new traffic signal and sidewalk project along Calaveras Blvd.

Milpitas Unified School District (MUSD) was awarded a $500,000 grant from Representative Ro Khanna’s  Office to support school safety.  This grant is a contribution towards the cost of the installation of a traffic light and new sidewalk along Calaveras Blvd. between Park Victoria and Gadsen Dr., the total cost is $3.35M.

This project provides greater safety to the community upon entering, exiting or walking along the MUSD Innovation Campus. MUSD was the only school district among 15 municipalities to be allocated funding from $14,771,279 that Rep. Khanna secured from the House Appropriations Committee fiscal year 2024 bills.

“This funding will make a difference in the lives of people in California's 17th Congressional District,” said Rep. Ro Khanna. “These funds will help provide housing, tackle hunger, improve public safety, and address many other needs felt in our community. I was proud to secure $14.7 million in funding for these critical projects and I am thankful they have been signed into law by President Biden.”

A first-of-its-kind high school through adult, early childhood education research and workforce development center–located on the site of the former Samuel Ayer High School–the MUSD Innovation Campus is already emerging as a hub for future-ready learners of all ages to connect with local businesses and partners within classrooms and labs tailored to provide a real-world education.

“The MUSD Innovation Campus provides an experience for students that speaks to their potential as the leaders of the future workforce,” said Superintendent Cheryl Jordan, who continues to work with the Board Governance Team to secure resources for the campus.  “We are building inspirational learning environments that capture the imagination of students, educators, and our partners.”

The new facilities will support a wide variety of programming, including business entrepreneurship, robotics, virtual reality, Audio/Video production, coding, artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer science and virtual design and construction, as well as simulation for legal, financial, manufacturing and health career training. The MUSD Innovation Campus provides learning spaces for MUSD’s Adult Education School, Calaveras Hills High School and in the fall of 2024, it will be home to the Milpitas High School Extension. 

MUSD Board of Education President Minh Ngo, whose children attend Alexander Rose Elementary School, noted: “The community vision to support a future ready learner in MUSD would not be possible without the passage of the 2018 Measure AA Bond, our financial partners, and the various grants awarded such as today’s award from Congressman Ro Khanna. The investment into MUSD will carry our students to greater heights and innovation.”
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With the completion of Phase 1 for the start of the 2023-24 school year, the MUSD Innovation Campus is set to ignite workforce pathways and early childcare research in our region and beyond in two additional phases. Phase 2 is slated to be completed in summer 2024, while the Phase 3 opening is estimated for fall 2026. MUSD continues to seek the support of individual financial partners like that of KLA Foundation to sponsor this first-of-its-kind bridge between local businesses, institutes of higher education, governance, and future-ready learners. For more information, please visit: https://www.musd.org/musd-innovation-campus-campaign.html. 

Through partnerships with community, colleges and universities, as well as local businesses, the MUSD Innovation Campus will provide training and education that support emerging career fields with practical career simulation. This novel academic institution will prepare Milpitas students of all ages for the local – and global – job market. 

Upon full capacity, the 99,000 sq. ft. campus will consist of six new two-story buildings, as well as one modernized building complete with classrooms, learning labs, career simulation facilities, and STEAM labs.  The campus is designed to provide environments for a wide variety of programming supported by flex spaces and outdoor learning quads. Each building will include sustainable materials, energy efficient lighting, all-electric mechanical systems, stormwater catchment and water-efficient landscaping.