17 replies to this topic

[Folsom Phillip]

Who is Sandra Gallardo and why is that name better than Prairie Oaks Elementary? No offense to this woman, but I've never even heard of her.

[Terry]

Sandra Gallardo has been a teacher in Folsom for at least 20 years of which I'm aware. She started at Theodore Judah in the early 80s and moved as needed to various other schools in Folsom.

Bet you don't know who Blanche Sprentz is either..........

Schools should honor those in the community - past and present. Unfortunately, with all the newcomers to our community, and an apparent lack of interest by those newcomers in getting to know the history of our community, we have to address questions like these.

You really should find out the histories of those individuals after whom city landmarks are named such as Lembi Park, Livermore Park, Lew Howard Park, Blanche Sprentz School, John Kemp Park. Just because YOU don't know who someone is doesn't mean they're not deserving of recognition.

[GaryD]

Sandra was also the principal at Theodore Judah or Blanche Sprentz (or maybe both) when my kids were there in the 80's. She was a great administrator - the kids and the parents liked her.

[twinmom]

Okay, we need to be careful with generalizations here. I am a Prairie Oaks resident AND I grew up in Folsom. I went to Theodore Judah, Blanche Sprentz, and Carl Sundahl Elementary Schools (and aside from Theodore Judah, I couldn't tell you who any of those people are).

Of course I know who Mrs. Gallardo is because she was one of the worst principals ever! In 3rd grade, despite reports from many parents and students that our teacher resorted to crude methods of punishing students for little things such as breaking wind in the classroom, Mrs. Gallardo failed to act. Years later that teacher was not only removed from service, but was treated for psyciatric disorders.

It wasn't enough that I had to switch schools numerous times because Folsom kept growing, but Mrs. Gallardo kept "following" me. The examples of her poor leadership followed her as well (but there isn't enough room to expand here).

My children will be attending this new elementary school soon, and I'm really sorry to see that they will have to learn about the legacy of such a poor leader.

My point is not to pick on the woman, but simply to point out that just because someone has been with the district a long time, doesn't make them an exemplary role model for our students. I agree with the masses in the community - Prairie Oaks Elementary is a great name!!!

[Terry]

History lesson - Blanche Sprentz was a much-loved teacher in Folsom schools in the 60s and 70s. Carl Sundahl was a local dentist who contributed much to the community. He died of cancer in the 70s and his practice was taken over by Scott Reiman, DDS who still works out of Sundahl's old office on Natoma Street. Reiman was a patient of Sundahl's and was probably inspired by Sundahl to become a dentist. There are Sundahl children and grandchildren still in Folsom.

There are many worthy individuals in the community after whom we can name schools, parks, and landmarks. You may not agree with their deserving of these honors, but majority rule still applies here.

[folsomrose]

Majority rule? It's my understanding that the public was very vocal about the school name being Prairie Oaks Elementary School and the decision to name the school after Sandra Gallardo was made behind closed doors.

I am a long time Folsom resident and am aware that Carl Sundahl was a Folsom dentist and that Mrs. Gallardo was the first principal of that school.

She was a poor administrator at both Judah and Sundahl. Although she often said she was open to parental involvement, she was not responsive to parents. Some of the teachers in her schools were completely out of control.

I'm not looking forward to my grandchildren going to a school named after a person for whom I have so little respect. I agree that 40 years of service deserves some reward -- give her a gold watch and name the school Prairie Oaks Elementary.

[Terry]

If the school board's decision was made 'behind closed doors' as you say, then maybe you should contact each of the school board members to voice your displeasure. Ask each of them also whether they voted for or against the Gallardo naming. I would guess you would discover that a 'majority' of the board members voted for the Gallardo name. Then you can decide who you want to vote for in the next school board election.

[jake]

I think Folsomrose's point is, this should not have been a school board decision... we paid a damn pretty penny to pay for that school, we should be able to have a say in what it is named.

[john]

just bumping up this topic as it appears to have been started again.

[cathy]

Did anyone hear that the elementary school in Prairie Oaks has been renamed? It is now being called Sandra J. Gallardo Elementary! Would you like to hear how that came about?

There was a naming committee formed to select possible names for the school. They thought about it long and hard and selected Prairie Oaks Elementary as an appropriate name (and why not?- we've been calling it that for the past several years!). Well, the school board didn't like the name. Instead of telling the committee to go back and think of something else, the school board picked Sandra J. Gallardo as the name.

Did you know that Ms. Gallardo is still alive?!

Schools should be named after a person or place of historical significance!

Shame on the school board for this choice! I'm sure that Ms. Gallardo is a wonderful person, but that is no reason to name a school after her!
And to go against the wishes of the community is wrong!

If you feel the way I do about this school, please write the school board members, call and complain, write letters to the papers, anything.

The next school board meeting is scheduled for Thursday Febuary 20 at 6pm sharp at the Mills Middle School Cafetorium- 10439 Coloma Rd. Rancho Cordova 95670.

You can also get information on the school distrtict website:

http://www.fcusd.k12.ca.us/

[tessieca]

Okay, you asked for it -- you get it. Here's the voice of a school board member. The decision was not made behind closed doors. We are not legally allowed to make ANY decisions behind closed doors. The topic was discussed at 3-4 board meetings, and any member of the public was welcomed to come up with their suggestions. Three nominations were presented to the board on the date the decision was made. I believed the site was perfect for the name Prairie City Elementary, but when it became clear that this position would lose to 4 other board votes, I joined in supporting a person who has made considerable contributions to Folsom. Very little comment was made by the public, and most was in favor of Gallardo. You cannot expect the district (or the city) to personally track you down and let you know what may or may not be decided at any given time. Keep an eye on the website (www.fcusd.k12.ca.us) and watch the Telegraph to ensure you are aware of all of the issues that concern you.

Prairie Oaks is a neighborhood name. No school is named after a subdivision. As Terry noted, Carl Sundahl, Blanche Sprentz, Theodore Judah, and Oak Chan were all named for people who made a contribution to this community. So were W.E. Mitchell Middle School, and Peter J. Shields and Williamson elementaries. Most others were named based on important local history. For example, Natoma Station was not named for a subdivision. Rather, it was named for the Pony Express and later the post office station along the railroad route, which was named for the famous (or infamous) Natoma Water Company that was established at Blue Ravine and Folsom Boulevard. Empire Oaks maintained the name of the existing ranch site on its location. Mills Middle School was named for the Mills station (again a Pony Express and rail stop). Cordova High School was named for the vineyards which were established in Rancho Cordova (where the city gets its name) in an attempt to repair the environmental devastation wrought by the dredging by the Natoma Water Company. Most of the elementary schools in RC maintain this Cordova name as well. Kitty Hawk and Mather elementaries are tied to the history of the military base that existed in that location. Goldridge was named "Broadstone Elementary" for many years until it was built, at which point the board opted for another nominated name. Yes, a few names slipped through the cracks (Goldridge has no gold, nor a ridge). That, however, is no reason to name a school after a subdivision which has little meaning to most of the city of Folsom, and we chose not to name the school after the developer-named Broadstone.

The new school was not built by a small number of people residing in one subdivision. Folsom Hills area, for example, supported the bond to a greater extent than did PO. The bond was passed through the efforts of many Folsom residents, including but not limited to PO residents. The school houses many subdivisions, including Willow Springs, Shores, Quailchase, Overlook, Los Cerros, and even some Natoma Station. There's absolutely no reason to name a school after a subdivision that reflects housing for only a part of the clientele for the school.

Despite the few disgruntled posters, Sandra J. Gallardo is well respected within Folsom. Although they do not appear to be posting here (few do when they are pleased with something), many have congratulated us on our choice of school names. Sandy is known by many, many Folsom residents as she has contributed to several schools over her years of service. She is well-loved and recognized by families who have been in Folsom for more than just a few years. Unfortunately for PO residents, that excludes most of you. You will havce the opportunity to meet Sandy when the district arranges for a tour and reception. I am sure that you will like her very much, and may begin to understand that her name is a suitable choice for an elementary school.

If not, the district has reinstated the transfer process, so you can always apply to transfer to Theodore Judah, where you will certainly recognize the patron of the school and his contributions to this area.

I know my message sounds a little defensive. I tend to get that way when I see people attack without having the benefit of the facts. The school has been named, and I do not believe any board member will be interested in reconsidering it. The district has likely spent money to make the new name permanent (signs, stationery, and stuff like that), so it would be detrimental to even think about that if we were so inclined at this point. You can still call it Prairie Oaks if you like, as most people will still know to which school you are referring.

Regards!

[jake]

tessieca,

do you not agree that the residents who decided to increase their own taxes (by a LOT) to get this school paid for should have a say in the matter? I do not know Ms. Gallardo, however I don't think that is the point. The point is, The board decided to change the name of Prairie Oaks Elementary!

I applaud you for voting against it, but this type of thing really stings the taxpayers who voted for this school.

[tessieca]

Jake, Folsom taxpayers paid for the school. I will pay for your school for 30 years! The structure of a school bond is that everyone in Folsom will pay for it, including people without children, including businesses, and even including landowners who have not yet developed their property. The other fees that are paid to the district each time a new building is built are paid by the builder (although they may choose to pass this along to another buyer). That means that each time a home is built, the builder must pay the school district before their permit to build is issued. The same applies again, to homes that have no children, to commercial properties, and even to additions that are added to existing homes or buildings. The money is allocated to Folsom schools, not just to a specific school. So, people who buy houses that have paid school fees and don't have children have contributed to schools. People who have no small children have paid for elementary schools. People who have no high school students have paid for high school facilities, and not necessarily at the existing school because the growth is the reason we need a new high school. So, while PO people will likely attend Folsom High, the fees paid for PO permits will go partially to the new high school because the growth has contributed to the need for that new school.

As I stated above, many, many people in Folsom, who ARE helping to pay for Gallardo Elementary school, are quite pleased that Sandy was honored in this way. They are simply not the ones posting to this website. Typically, only the disgruntled add their posts here.

By the way, I did not vote against the name. I tried to urge the board to go with Prairie City, but seeing that this was not supportted by any other member, I added my "yes" vote so that the honor bestowed on Sandy would be unanimous. My reasons for wanting another name had nothing to do with opposition to Sandy. I prefer names of people who have pre-deceased, and I think the opportunity to have a historical name was a great one that will not be possible for any other site.

My suggestion: find a more important sword on which to die.

[M.E.G.]

I have been trying not to get into this. But here it goes. I was on that "Naming Committee" for Prairie Oaks Elementary School. The committee had determined Prairie Oaks was the name to present to the school board. At the time the board requested staff to come up with additional names, is when the naming committee should have been notified that there was a problem with the name and others should be presented. Instead, no one on the committee was told there was a problem. The school district staff decided on Gallardo (or did they?) Staff and board knew that if the committee knew what was going on they would have had a full house of people complaining! So the district/board may not have done it behind closed doors, but they do it in a very sneaky way.

I personally believe district/board knew all along they wanted to name it Gallardo and just made it look like there was community involvement.

My question to all of you is if the district/board, who put together the committee went against the recommendations of the committee to do what they wanted, what else are they doing because it is what they want, not want the community/parents/neighbors want?

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[OctoberLily]

Everyone is entitled to their opinions. Everyone is going to have different opinions. These are all facts.

What should probably be at issue and discussed here is what type of DAMAGE would occur if the name Sandra J. Gallardo Elementary School replaced Prairie Oaks Elementary School?

If someone had a problem with Sandra J. Gallardo 20 years ago, that is a long long time to hold a grudge. She may have been a terrible person to some and a totally wonderful person to others. That doesn't mean she is not worthy of being recognized by the school district for the time she has put in to working with children.

Sometimes I wonder why we as adults get so emotional and caught up on issues that really wouldn't make that much of a difference in our lives.

Whatever the name is, I'm sure the current administrators, teachers and students will continue to do business as usual.