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TO: Donald A. Philips, Ed.D., Superintendent
FROM: Irvin G. Rollins, Jr., Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent - Student Services
SUBJECT: 12th School Naming Committee
Background
Barbara Butterworth, Interim Principal for the 12th Elementary School, convened an advisory committee representing the Barron Park community, parents of students residing within the anticipated attendance area of the new school and a teacher representative. The advisory group solicited names for the new school through an article in the Palo Alto Daily, an e-mail to staff of Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD), notices on the web pages for the Barron Park Association and for the new school, and posters and flyers posted around the neighborhood. Of the 100+ responses by phone, e-mail and mail, over 40 names were submitted. The committee reviewed the names submitted by the community using the following criteria:
- Connecting the school to the larger neighborhood community—geographically, environmentally or historically;
- Simplicity (i.e., be easily spelled and pronounced);
- Not in conflict with another place name which could cause confusion (e.g., Hoover Park and Hoover School);
- Named for a historical figure meaningful to the area.
These criteria guided the advisory committee in narrowing the focus to five (5) potential names for the 12th School. The advisory committee was aided by Dr. Robert French, retired PAUSD principal, who provided useful historical information.
The advisory committee narrowed their recommendations, with pros and cons identified, to two primary names for the new school:
- Barron Park Elementary School: The first school opened at this site
in 1947 was called Barron Park Elementary School. Prior to 1947, children
in the area attended Mayfield School located on El Camino between California
Avenue and Page Mill Road. The attendance area of the new school included
the area from Page Mill, south, and the railroad tracks, west. The Ventura
area was also originally known as Barron Park in the '30s and '40s when
it became a residential community. Given rapid development in this part
of Palo Alto, Loma Vista (currently Juana Briones) was opened in 1952
and Ventura (now closed) in 1953. The opening of these new schools gradually
split a community that had for five years attended Barron Park Elementary
School.
With declining enrollments in the late '70s, school closures began. After an emotional process, the West Side Closure Committee recommended the closure of Ventura rather than Barron Park. Several lawsuits followed, which emotionally divided the communities. Ultimately, Ventura was closed in June, 1978, and Ventura students were combined with Barron Park students at the Barron Park site with the school renamed Creekside. As stated in Doug Graham's Barron Park History Notes in Three Parts, ...During the next three years, the Ventura and Barron Park communities successfully knit back together and developed a superior school at Creekside. In 1981, the school closure process began again, this time pitting Creekside against Loma Vista. Creekside closed in June, 1982, and the community merged with Loma Vista, with that school being renamed Juana Briones. Jerry Schmidt served as principal at Ventura, Creekside and Briones, bringing the community together at each of these locations. Hoover Elementary School opened at the Creekside site in the fall of 1982.
The history is included to help convey the benefits to returning the name to Barron Park Elementary School as well as the issues associated with the name.
Pro: Barron Park is the original name of the school that served both the Barron Park and Ventura communities. It is referred to by all in the area as the Barron Park site and has deep connections in the community, with many community members having attended school there. Originally Barron Park denoted both the current Ventura and Barron Park communities.
Con: The Barron Park name may not evoke a sense of inclusiveness given the emotional history of school closings and the fact that the name now refers only to the area west of El Camino. Barron Park also includes some of the Briones attendance area. Some members of the Committee feel that because this is a new school it should have a new name with a fresh start.
- Sarah Wallis Elementary School: Sarah Wallis (1825-1905) was a prominent
figure in the early history of this area. She bought 250 acres in the
area which had been part of Don Secundino Robles’ Rancho. She
eventually sold the property to Edward Barron. Sarah Wallis was a leader
in both the Women's Suffrage Movement and the Temperance Movement. She
was the founder and first President of the California Suffrage Society
and the first important suffragist on the West Coast. Her husband, Joseph
Wallis was a judge and state senator. Through community efforts, a State
historical marker was erected in the neighborhood in honor of Sarah
Wallis.
Pro: She is an important part of local history and a role model. This is a new name with no historical impediments. The name creates many learning opportunities for students.
Con: Name recognition is low, and there is no emotional connection between this name and the community.
The committee considered the following three (3) names as possibilities but did not place them in their top ranking:
- Birge Clark Elementary School: As an architect of Barron Park School and all the schools of similar design in PAUSD, Birge Clark has had a major impact on education in this community. He designed 450 buildings in the Palo Alto/Stanford area, including Lucie Stern. He is an exemplar of service to this community and his country.
- Creekside Elementary School: This is a good "environmental" name to encourage a school focus on the creek and the study of both the history and ecology of the area. Also, it does not denote a specific neighborhood. It was the name of the school for a relatively brief period and served approximately the same community as the new school will serve. The name, though, does have associations with the school closure process and is not a new name.
- Mayfield Elementary School: This was the name of the original school serving this area. While it does not have negative historical connotations for the Barron Park community, it is not strongly connected to the community having served a very large area, including College Terrace.
After their initial discussions, the committee sought additional information and feedback, especially from the Ventura community. While not unanimous in their recommendation, the advisory committee felt that they could support a return to the site's original name, Barron Park Elementary School.
Recommendation
The Superintendent recommends that the Board approve the name of the 12th School as Barron Park Elementary School.
