Rock Rose School given $4,641 Neighborhood Reinvestment Program grant

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

The May 23 actions of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors included approving a $4,641 Neighborhood Reinvestment Program grant for The Rock Rose School for Creative Learning.

The supervisors’ 4-0 vote, with one vacant seat, allocated the money for the school to help with the costs to upgrade the restroom to Americans with Disabilities Act standards. The action also found that the grant is exempt from California Environmental Quality Act review.

The Rock Rose School for Creative Learning was founded in 2006 to provide early education to children throughout North County and southern Riverside County. Families from Fallbrook, Escondido, Vista, Valley Center, and San Marcos have children at The Rock Rose School.

In addition to classes for young children the school also hosts parenting classes and community events such as the Harvest Festival, the May Day Festival, puppet shows, and book clubs. Increasing enrollment has led to the school moving to larger facilities three times, and the current location is in the 2100 block of Gum Tree Lane.

The Neighborhood Reinvestment Program provides grants to non-profit organizations for the furtherance of public purposes at the regional and community levels. In addition to non-profit organizations, county supervisors can also fund schools and fire departments, and supervisors can also use money from their budgets to supplement other county funding for specific county projects such as parks, roads, and libraries.

Each county supervisor recommends the allocation of his or her Neighborhood Reinvestment Program funds, although those allocations must be approved by a majority of the board. The grant to the Rock Rose School for Creative Learning was from the District 5 budget of Supervisor Jim Desmond.