About 60 students with autism began summer school today at the brand new campus of Triton Academy, located at 550 Airport Way near the Camarillo Airport.

The campus was built from the ground up in just seven months. The project began with the demolition of the old Cowan Center, which used to serve as a conference facility for the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE). Consisting of relocatable buildings, the new campus features ten classrooms, life and motor skills facilities, a library, staff lounge, meeting rooms and an office. Triton Academy is operated by VCOE and provides specialized instruction to students with autism in third through twelfth grades from throughout Ventura County.

Getting the campus ready to welcome students by the start of summer school, also known as Extended School Year, was a big undertaking. Triton teachers and staff packed and moved classroom supplies. VCOE facilities, business, purchasing, technology and transportation personnel along with several construction contractors worked together to ensure that the campus would be operational in time. “Everyone has done a great job pulling together and getting this thing done in record time,” said Dr. Roger Rice, VCOE’s Deputy Superintendent for Student Services. “I’m so proud of the team effort that went into this project. It’s going to serve our students really well.”

Prior to the move, Triton Academy had operated for ten years out of a campus leased from the Pleasant Valley School District (PVSD) at 700 Temple Avenue in Camarillo. Last August, PVSD announced that it would need the site for its own students, prompting Triton’s search for a new location.

The new campus won’t be Triton Academy’s home for long. Construction is now underway on a 29,944-square-foot, two-story building that will become Triton’s permanent home. The new building is going up next to the VCOE Conference and Educational Services Center on Adolfo Road in Camarillo. Triton will move to the new site once construction is complete, which is expected to be sometime during the 2019-2020 school year.