A “Riptide” like none other is going to be unleashed on River Islands at Lathrop.

It’s not the type of riptide that poses a safety threat to swimmers and boaters alike within a confined inlet.

Instead, it is the mascot for the South County’s ninth  comprehensive high school targeted to open in 2023 — River Islands High School.

Grading has started on the 52-acre campus being built on the southeast corner of River Islands Parkway and Paradise Road.

The school designed for 1,800 students will have a large gym seating 2,000 plus an adjoining performing arts center and smaller gym just off the main entrance.

The first principal for River Islands High is Carey Simoni. She resides in Manteca with her husband Eric who is the Escalon High principal.

River Islands High — whose school colors conjure up water as well given they are teal and navy blue — is unique for a number of reasons.

*It is part of a K-12 public charter school system known as River Islands Academies operating under the auspices of the Banta Unified School District allowing maximum flexibility under state law to craft educational programs.

*Due to upfront development financing through Cambay Group, the high school needed to accommodate student growth River Islands is generating is being built years ahead of the time a new high school campus would be built typically in California.

*It will be the only high school in San Joaquin County where visitors will be greeted by palm trees, the signature marker for a growing number of community places and spaces in River Islands.

*The upkeep of its home baseball field and football stadium — are not on the school district dime. Both complexes  are located about a mile away in the planned town center.

The baseball complex and football stadium will remain in the ownership of Cambay Group. The goal is to use both facilities to their fullest potential for community events ranging from festivals to concerts.

The baseball field has been getting used by area high school baseball teams. In May it will be the site of the California High School Baseball Championship pitting the winners of the NorCal and SoCal prep playoffs against each other.

River Islands High School will open with a full repertoire of academic and career technical education programing.

Simoni along with River Islands Academies Executive Director Brenda Scholl have been extensively studying effective and innovative CTE programs throughout California in a bid to make sure a robust vocational education program will be offered.

Scholl, by the way, was recognized by the California School Board Association with its Golden Bell Award in 2018 for the innovative programs she helped put in place when she was principal of be.tech Charter High with the Manteca Unified School District.

The second of what will ultimately be a half dozen kindergarten through eighth grade elementary campuses in the planned community of 15,001 homes in now under construction. It is much farther along than the high school given classroom buildings are now being erected.

It will open as a K through ninth grade campus for a year to avoid eighth graders having to be bused to high school in Tracy when the 2022-2023 school year opens.

In the case construction delays push back the opening of River Islands High a semester, 10th grade programming will be added on a temporary basis as well at the elementary school now under construction.

The school is being built for 1,080 students.

River Islands has an agreement with Banta Unified to make sure there is a “seat” for every student the development generates.

That means once the 15,001st home is built and occupied there will be permanent classroom space to accommodate every student.

That includes those students residing in River Islands that may be attending a charter, parochial, or private school in another community and could at any point enroll in a River Islands Academies school.

River Islands President Susan Dell’Osso based on the actual overall “real” student yield when the last home is occupied as opposed to projected yield, Cambay Group will have to build either more brick and mortar classrooms at existing schools or possibly another campus.

Cambay Group, if the state doesn’t fund the district’s share of school construction taking place due to state bond funds not being available, will cover the gap for Banta Unified.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com