The Fillmore Unified School District announced a June 11 groundbreaking for a 43,000-square-foot athletic complex at Fillmore High School, superintendent Christine Shefferly told the board at its June 3 meeting.

The district said the complex will include a gymnasium with seating for about 1,500, three basketball courts, a wrestling room, a weight room with garage-style doors that open toward the stadium, new team rooms and a hall-of-fame foyer. The project also includes a new parking lot with about 130 spaces and some solar panels, Shefferly said. "So we are going to break ground next week and so that and start construction right away," she told trustees.

The superintendent framed the project as a long-term investment in athletics and student experience, noting the facility will be integrated with the school's west wing. Shefferly said construction timing should allow freshmen this year to use the complex by their senior year. The district promoted a June 11, 1 p.m., “golden shovel” ceremony during the meeting.

Board members and staff did not vote on the project during the meeting; Shefferly presented the schedule and basic program elements as part of her superintendent’s report. No project budget, construction contract awards, or firm completion date were announced at the meeting.

Trustees and the superintendent also noted logistics the new lot is intended to ease parking at Fillmore High; district staff said solar panels will be included but did not provide a projected generation capacity or contractor names. Additional details — including contractor selection, final budget, and project timeline — were not stated and would require separate board action.

The announcement came amid other end-of-year acknowledgments by the district, including livestream plans for graduation ceremonies and recognition of student accomplishments across Fillmore Unified.