Former Aromas-San Juan Unified School District Trustee Jose Flores had driven by San Juan Elementary School countless times, always noticing the faded school logo on the side of the gymnasium.
“It’s faded. It’s like this sore thumb,” said Flores, a probation officer and father of two boys who attend the school.
Knowing that San Juan Elementary School was celebrating its 50th anniversary, Flores decided to do something about it.
“I knew it would help beautify our campus and instill some more pride in our school,” Flores said. “Just something good in our community. We want the kids to have pride in their school and the district.”
So he worked with the district and school to gain approval of the project and then contacted an old friend and San Juan Bautista neighbor Aaron Saucedo, a professional painter who runs Saucedo Painting Inc.
Saucedo, who moved to San Juan four years ago, agreed to volunteer his time and repaint that faded “Home of the San Juan Padres” logo, which was completed March 16.
“It did need a fresh coat of paint. The colors had faded over time,” said Saucedo, who volunteered his services and spent most of Saturday repainting the school logo. “Hopefully, it will give the kids some school spirit with the updated logo.”
The K-8 school, which enrolls about 375 students, paid for all the materials and paint. Saucedo did the rest.
“For schools like that and projects like that, I don’t mind going out and donating the day,” Saucedo said.
San Juan School’s 50th anniversary celebration will be held from 5-11pm May 18 at the San Juan Bautista Community Center and Casa Maria. Tickets are $40 per person ($50 after March 31) and can be purchased at sanjuanschool.myevent.com or by calling (831) 623-4538, ext. 216. The event will include dinner, dancing and raffle prizes.
Staff encourages “anyone who has or had a connection with San Juan School to attend.”
The Aromas-San Juan Unified School District covers approximately 100 square miles in western San Benito County, northern Monterey County and eastern Santa Cruz County. The district includes the city of San Juan Bautista in San Benito County, the unincorporated community of Aromas in Monterey County and other unincorporated areas in its three-county territory.
