Portola High had a ground breaking ceremony on October 16, representing the start of the construction of the fifth school in Irvine. The school is set to open in August 2016 near the Orange County Great Park. Portola High is designed to be a school with a healthy, comfortable and energy-efficient campus. The high school will be built to host approximately 2,400 students.

The school will be built with two full soccer fields, softball fields, eight tennis courts, a dance studio, aquatics center and a library, according to IUSD.org. There will also be science labs and a stadium with 2,940 seats and rubberized tracks. The school will have a building on campus for electives such as video production, 2D and 3D art, music and more.

The addition of a school in the district is necessary due to the growing number of residents in Irvine.

“I really think that it is great how we have another school in Irvine because we won’t be having any more issues with overcrowded schools,” principal Christopher Krebs said. “I think that there even may be a possibility of a sixth school if Irvine population keeps growing at this rate.”

Students also agree that the addition of a new school in Irvine is a good choice.

“It is really exciting that we are adding a new school in Irvine will really help with the large numbers of freshmans we are getting and all the houses they are building,” senior Kayla Sibley said.

The boundary for Portola High has been approved, and it will serve for neighborhoods including Heritage Fields, Los Olivos, Portola Springs, Lambert Ranch, Stonegate and Woodbury, according to IUSD.org. However, these boundaries will not affect any students already enrolled in another school.

“Since the new school will be near Irvine High and Northwood High, I don’t think it will affect any students here at Woodbridge,” librarian Terri Kreyche said.

According to IUSD.org, professional educators of the highest level will teach the students at the new school with the latest educational technologies.