New elementary school named after former Menifee teacher

Administrators and school board members prepare to cut the ribbon on Sally Buselt Elementary School.

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Menifee officials and residents paid tribute to one of the city’s most memorable educators Wednesday with the ribbon cutting of a new elementary school.

Sally Buselt Elementary School recognizes the legacy of a teacher who spent 15 years in the Menifee Union School District until her death in an auto collision in 2001. During her time at Menifee Elementary School, Buselt became well known regionally for her promotion of literacy and performing arts, plus ground-breaking inclusion programs for special education students.

The $70.4 million facility was paid for through Measure Q and Community Facilities District funds. It will open its doors Aug. 8 to about 400 students in south Menifee. Located on Wickerd Road west of Briggs Road, its enrollment borders stretch from Antelope Road east into Winchester and from Scott Road north to Garbani Road.

The school’s location in a rural area about a mile west of Liberty High School is evident in its sprawling layout with open spaces and classrooms featuring natural-light views of the surrounding environment.

“This journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, filled with inspiration to create a place for every child to flourish," said Stephanie Acosta, the school principal. "Our school is named after a remarkable educator, family member and friend. Sally’s legacy is a testament to the power of passion, creativity and inclusivity in education.

“While honoring her legacy, we also wanted to start a movement of our own. I am proud to share that we have assembled an extraordinary staff. Our team includes some of the most talented teachers I’ve ever known. We even have teachers who taught with Sally.”

Sally Buselt Elementary School facilitates the most modern instructional methods. “Collaborative spaces” that are separate from classrooms allow students from different classes and grades to work together on projects. Entire walls of that area are devoted to whiteboard writing surfaces.

The school also includes Makerspace rooms, where students will create special projects. 3D printers will soon be on site to help increase the students’ learning experience.

Those in attendance were happy to greet members of the Buselt family who attended Wednesday’s ceremony.

“I had the honor of growing up in her classroom and being a student in her classroom,” said Andy Marshall Buselt (left), Sally’s youngest child. “Sally Buselt was the daughter of a librarian. She was a gifted artist, an amazing athlete, and above all she is still remembered and honored 23 years later because she truly had the heart of a teacher in all she did.

"She chose to live, teach and raise her children in Menifee in the 1980s. Her former colleagues remember her as exceptionally creative and kind, a master of teaching and learning who believed in all students, an innovator who pushed the limit of what was possible.”

The library's "giving shelf" highlights favorite books of Buselt and current teachers.

 Classrooms feature visual aids to help students learn.

Collaborative learning spaces provide instructional space outside the classroom.

Principal Stephanie Acosta leads of tour of the new campus.