Horizon Prep starts construction on new classrooms, admin building

Horizon Prep school in Rancho Santa Fe continues to grow. The school celebrated a groundbreaking on March 10 and with the concrete foundation set, the steel frames are expected to start rising this week on the El Apajo campus.

The groundbreaking was a momentous occasion, part of a master plan that has been years in the making and the last two and a half years getting through the county’s permitting process.

“We have been praying about it and getting everything ready,” said Horizon Prep Head of School Scott McGihon.

This next phase of construction is a continued realization of the vision of founder and president, Horizon Church Pastor Bob Botsford—the school is the outreach ministry of the church with a focus on education of the whole student spiritually, socially and academically within a Christian context.

“We just feel really blessed to be able to be a light in our community,” McGihon said.

Horizon Prep groundbreaking celebration.

(Horizon Prep)

Founded as a preschool back in 2000, the school has grown steadily over the years. Horizon Prep graduated from its old campus of charming green and white cottage portables into the new Santa Barbara-style buildings in 2014. Three of those original cottages remain tucked into the back of campus.

Horizon expanded to include high school in 2013 and now offers a Classical education for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

This next $2 million phase of construction, funded by donors, includes a three-classroom building and new administration offices: “The front face of the school if you will,” McGihon said. “Driving by on El Apajo some people still don’t know we have a school here because it’s so set back.”

The new classrooms will house first and second graders. The current portable administration building on campus will be removed and McGihon said they are still developing plans on how they will use the space.

The hope is for the new buildings to be finished by fall, as close to the start of the 2023-24 school year as possible. McGihon said, “God’s timing is perfect: It’s very important to get the job done right and not rush it.”

Horizon Prep’s current enrollment is 390 students. Starting in the fall, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten will move on to the church campus. Future phases of the master plan include the build out of athletic fields as Horizon owns acreage behind the school.