Region’s growth reflects importance of YHS

NOW: The current Board of Trustees of the Yosemite Joint Unified School District includes David Hartseveldt, Karen Hutchings, Tom Allcock, Bert McSwain and Dennis Adams.

THEN: When the district was created, the Board of Trustees included Herman Neufeld, Fritz Konklin, Regina Harlow, Russell Clutter and Harry Baker Jr., the first board president,

The growth in Eastern Madera County has been phenomenal over the past 25 year. The 1970 census figures showed that 14% of the people in Madera County lived in the eastern portion (5,853); by the 1990 census that figure had grown to 33.5% (29,578).

From 1970 to 2000, the total population for Madera County increased 296% (from 41,519 to 123,109); from 1970 to 1997, the population in Eastern Madera County increased 621% (from 5,853 to 36,376).

Many people attribute the growth of the area to the fact that Yosemite High School opened its doors September 9, 1976, allowing students to attend school near to their homes instead of traveling from three to four hours a day to Sierra High School.

The Yosemite Union High School District became official October 9, 1973 when the Madera County Board of Supervisors certified the results of the September 18, 1973 election.

In that election, residents in five elementary school districts (Oakhurst, Bass Lake, Coarsegold, Wasuma and Raymond) voted 1659 to 244 (86.5%) to separate from Sierra Joint Union High School District and form a new district.

When the district was formed, it was the first new district in California in 30 years. The voter turnout was 70%.

The Madera County superintendent of schools, Norman Gould, appointed a five-member Board of Trustees: Harry Baker Jr., who was selected as the president; Russ Clutter, Fritz Konklin, Regina Harlow and Herman Neufeld.

The effort to have a high school in the Oakhurst area had taken several years and a lot of work on the part of a lot of people. Harry Baker Jr., Ida Baker (no relation) and Bill Hill led the fight when they were elected to the SJUHSD Board of Trustees in 1969 on a platform of acquiring a second high school.

In 1972, Mr. Baker and Mrs. Baker were both recalled from the SJUHSD board and soon thereafter Mr. Hill resigned, announcing that he would direct all of his efforts toward establishing a new high school district in Eastern Madera County.

Sierra was just too far

The primary complaint the area residents had about Sierra High School was simply the distance the students had to travel. Some left home in the dark in the morning and returned home after dark in the evening. Others spent the week at Sierra in dormitories or living with friends.

Among those who helped with the struggle were Dr. Paul and Martha Pitman. Dr. Pitman was named interim superintendent of the new district until Ken Savage was hired in January 1974.

By an 89% margin, a bond measure was passed in March of 1974 to build the new facility. The vote was 1,577 to 203. The Madera County Board of Supervisors authorized the trustees to sell $1,560,000 worth of bonds in September 1974. By December 1974 the State Allocation Board had approved a $3,589,061 project budget for the school and plans were made to open in September 1975.

Later, that date was changed to September 1976 when it was believed the campus would be ready for grades nine-12.

Let the debate begin

The road was not an easy one in the early days of the school. Even before classes started, parents started to express concern about the philosophy that was to guide the school. The classrooms were to be located in open-space pods with 30-foot ceilings instead of conventional facilities with walls and low ceilings.

A non-traditional system of education had been adopted; soon after school started parents were concerned that their students were not being prepared for college.

In 1977, the board made some major policy changes, agreeing to implement graduation requirements and semester scheduling and to make sure every student was carrying a full schedule.

Through the years, teachers and students alike struggled with the open classrooms. Even though six-foot high dividers were used to separate rooms, it was still hard for students to concentrate when they could hear all of the adjacent classes.

A new approach

In June 1998, the voters of the district passed an $11.76 million bond measure by 71% that would allow the open-space classrooms to finally be remodeled into conventional facilities. Bond funds were also used to build a cafeteria / multi-purpose room and to modernize and expand the campus.

In 1996 Bill McCabe was named superintendent of the Yosemite Joint Union High School District. He was the fourth person to hold that position, following Angelo Pizelo who retired that year. Dr. Pizelo had assumed the position when Jerry Livesey resigned in 1988. Dr. Livesey had replaced Mr. Savage who left the district in 1979.

Mr. Livesey had been named principal of YHS in 1978 and David Read was named assistant principal, a position he continues to hold.

The school’s current principal is Steve Raupp who assumed those duties in 1999 following the resignation of Bob LaBelle in 1998.

Dennis Adams serves as the current Yosemite Joint Union High School District board president. Also on the board are Thomas Allcock, clerk, Karen Hutchings, Bert McSwain and David Hartesveldt.

Distinguished, more

Today, Yosemite High School proudly displays the banner of a 2001 California Distinguished School and it is home to one of only 10 EAST (Environmental and Spatial Technology) laboratories in California. In this facility, students use several hundred thousand dollars worth of state-of-the-art technology equipment to perform community service projects. The school was selected to receive funding for the lab through a competitive grant process.

YHS is one of approximately 30 high schools in California to offer an International Baccalaureate Full Diploma Program. The school’s Academic Decathlon team was state champion in its division the past two years.

“Obviously, we are extremely proud of the achievements of the past 25 years,” says Mr. McCabe, “and we look forward to continued growth into the future.”