School Board to Hold Public Hearing on Curtis Gymnasium Name Tonight

The University Place School Board will hold a public hearing tonight to consider names for the new gymnasium at Curtis High.

The public hearing is scheduled during the school board's meeting tonight, 6:30 p.m., tonight at .

The district has already received a request to name the gym after Ray Beard, the first principal of Curtis High School. Mr. Beard served University Place School District for 30 years as a 6th grade teacher, head teacher, and principal of Curtis Junior and Senior High.

Pursuant to policy GP-14 Memorialization of Facilities, the Board has scheduled a public hearing to consider input from community members on this request. The Board of Directors invites you to attend to share your thoughts as they consider the request. For your information, here is a link to the Board's adopted policy regarding Memorialization of Facilities.  Also attached is a link to the original nomination and a letter seeking support from long time CHS teacher and coach, Joe Thomas. If you have any questions, please call or e-mail Superintendent Patti Banks at pbanks@upsd.wednet.edu. You can also submit letters in reference to this nomination to her attention, and she will provide them to the Board of Directors.

One Patch user also gave the nod to Ray Beard.

"After being raised in UP, graduating during Ray Beard's term of Principal at the HS, and teaching PE and Health at the junior high for 26 years and the high school for 5 years, Ray Beard Gymnasium would be my choice for naming the gym," wrote user needlenose2.