ENCINITAS — Natalie Muto, a junior at San Dieguito Academy, credited the school’s woodshop with giving her the tools and opportunities to make something of her time in high school.
Muto said she initially did not like coming to school and struggled to feel confident. Then, in ninth grade, she took a guitar-making class with longtime SDA woodshop teacher Jeff Germano.
“(The class) gave me a lot of self-confidence,” Muto said. “I think it’s really important that everyone take a shop class or learn how to build with their hands, because it gives you confidence in something that you’re able to become.”
She spoke alongside classmates and other stakeholders from the school district at an April 20 ribbon-cutting event for the upgraded Career and Technical Education wood and metal shops at San Dieguito Academy in Encinitas.
The school offers several pathways as part of the statewide CTE program, including woodworking, machining (welding and fabrication), engineering and architecture, film and video production, culinary arts, graphic design, screenprinting, computer science, software development, and automotive systems.
Germano said during a tour of the woodshop, “The footprint’s basically the same, but we replaced 50-year-old tools with brand new ones.”
“What you see today is more than just a building,” Germano said. “It’s a space where ideas will take shape, our students will learn by doing and where creativity meets craftsmanship.”
Much of the previous equipment had been acquired through public donations over the years. Maintaining the same layout allows classes and programs to continue in similar forms, but with improved tools and fewer shop-related bottlenecks.
The woodshop upgrades include modern table and panel saws, computerized routers, a downdraft table, a dedicated paint and finishing room, floor vacuums and five televisions to display lessons or instructions, up from the shop’s previous one. The renovation also includes a new state-of-the-art dust collection system with infrastructure designed to keep dust particles out of the air as much as possible.
The metal shop upgrades include modern milling and lathe machines in a range of sizes for different ability levels. The space also features welding stations, expanded jewelry-making resources, new emergency shutoff systems and upgraded ventilation.
Grant Moreau, a metal shop teacher, said the upgrades make the shop a “launch pad” for a variety of tradecraft or engineering careers.
“By shifting from making do to leading the way, we are bridging the gap between the classroom and modern industry,” Moreau said. “This renovation fundamentally upgrades our curriculum.”
All told, the upgraded facilities cost about $5 million, according to Stephen Dickinson, associate superintendent of business services.
Construction began in June 2025 and ended earlier this month. The woodshop opened for classes a week ago, while the metal shop is expected to open in the next week or two, according to interim Principal Kelly Gilbert.
“These shops equip our graduates with tangible skills that are in high demand in today’s time,” Gilbert said.
She ended her remarks by telling students, “This space is yours.”
Oliver Fuller, a senior at SDA, said he plans to pursue engineering in college based on his experiences in the shops. He thanked the school board and administrators for their efforts to revamp the spaces.
“I’m really happy for these new shops,” Fuller said. “I’m really grateful that you guys have put the funding into our future.”
John Chittenden, a sophomore at SDA, said that beyond “invaluable technical skills,” the shops have “reinforced our problem-solving abilities, attention to detail and how to actualize anything we can imagine.”
“The learning environment CTE classes provide goes beyond what traditional classrooms can provide,” Chittenden said. “Instead of just learning concepts, we apply them to our projects and real-world scenarios.
“And through it all, you create something tangible – a product that reflects the time, pride and effort you took instead of another completed assignment.”
