Castaic High School welcomed its inaugural class of ninth graders Tuesday morning, marking the end of years of work to make the new school a reality.

The class of 325 students is the first of many that are expected to walk through the halls of the new facility for the duration of their high school experience.

“The anticipated capacity is 2,600,” said Dave Caldwell, spokesperson for the William S. Hart High Union High School District. “Three years from now when we are going to bring the fourth class in at Castaic High School, will there be 2,600 students? No. But they could get there eventually with growth in the community and the development of new homes in the area.”

While the school isn’t expected to hit maximum occupancy in its first several years, local community members expect the school to accelerate the community’s growth.

“The North Lake project, which was on hold for nearly 20 years, is now finally ramping up and should bring 3,000 more homes to the area, potentially doubling the population of our town,” said Castaic Town Council Member Jeff Preach. “Everyone’s property values will go up and maybe we can fill some of these vacant storefronts.”

Grading for the Castaic High School project initially began in 2013 and construction started in Jan. 2017; however, the idea had been discussed long before that in some Santa Clarita circles.

“When you listen to the people from Castaic and how excited they were this morning on that first day of school, they’re very excited for this school,” Caldwell said.  “This could be a centerpiece of that community for decades to come.”

Related: Castaic High School Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Starts Countdown To Opening Day

One of the school’s most anticipated features is its state-of-the-art, 450-seat performing arts center.

“This school is a $200 million asset for the community of Castaic,” Preach said.

While Preach and fellow Castaic residents have waited a long time for the school to become a reality, their wait to see a Castaic High School varsity football team take the field under the Friday night lights is expected to continue for another several years.

Another unique aspect of Castaic High is its emphasis on Career Technical Education and partnership with College of the Canyons to offer iCAN Academy.

“Castaic High School will also house iCAN Academy,” Caldwell said, “which is just such a unique opportunity for students who want to be able to take college classes beginning (as) early as ninth grade while still being able to participate in athletics, performing arts and other extracurricular.”

Students who apply and are accepted into the iCAN Academy have the opportunity to earn high school and college dual credit while also having access to the athletics, performing arts and other extracurricular activities available to all Castaic High School students.

The students who walked onto the Castaic High School campus Tuesday morning marked the beginning of a new chapter in Santa Clarita public education, one that officials say should have a positive impact in the Castaic community for decades to come.

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