What’s in a name: a look at schools in Frisco ISD

As parents drop off students in front of the latest school buildings, the block letters above the doors speak to a tradition in Frisco of dedicated educators and those with a profound love for children. Five of the six new schools in Frisco ISD that opened this week are named after admirable people from the community, and even Lone Star High School found its name in deep Texas roots.

“A long time ago [Superintendent] Dr. Reedy and the school board decided they wanted to name the schools after people who impacted Frisco ISD students,” media specialist Jane Whitledge said.

For example, Riddle Elementary, Boals Elementary and Fisher Elementary are all named after elementary school teachers who taught at the same time. According to Whitledge, Pink Elementary was named for a doctor and not an educator.

“He was the town’s only doctor for years,” Whitledge said. “He would walk the sidelines and was the doctor for the football team.”

In many cases, the names on the building have ties to events in history. Mr. Bert Isbell, of Isbell Elementary, was the principal of Acker Elementary when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Isbell made the announcement of the shooting through the school’s PA system.

Portia Ross Taylor, a teacher for which Taylor Elementary is named for, taught for years in the all black school before desegregation. Whitledge said her dedication to teaching was evident in that Taylor lived in Frisco during the week and only went home to her family on the weekend.

The two newest elementary schools (Purefoy and Sonntag) and three middle schools (Cobb, Hunt and Maus) continue a practice of recognizing educators, volunteers and influential leaders throughout Frisco ISD’s history.

Some schools are named for a family or couple, like George and Debra Purefoy Elementary, which opened Monday. George has been the only city manager Frisco has ever had, and his wife, Debra, has spent more than two decades teaching in Frisco ISD. In a presentation to the school board in 2008, Frisco ISD communication director Shana Wortham described the couple as true servant leaders and a formidable “dream team,” in benefitting the students of Frisco ISD.

Gerald Sonntag Elementary is named for a member of one Collin County’s pioneering families. Sonntag. According to the presentation, Sonntag volunteered to coach the high school football team during World War II, and the team went on to win the Bi-District Championship for several years. The respected education advocate also ran the famous Co-op Gin in Friso and served on the school board.

Also a former board member was Robert Cobb of Cobb Middle School. The school honors Cobb and his entire family, who continue to contribute to the success of Frisco schools. His widow, Charlene, has been a leader in the church and community; his son Scott served on the board for 11 years; Scott’s wife, Stefanie, taught home economics; and his son Jerry and Jerry’s late wife, Ellen, were parent leaders at Frisco High School.

Libby Maus, of Maus Middle School, maintains her support of youth through volunteering and was additionally recognized in 2002 as Citizen of the Year by the Frisco Chamber of Commerce. She served as homebound teacher for the Collin County Special Education Cooperative, board member for 12 years, and as a leader in Frisco’s Project for the Future (now Frisco Family Services), Young Life, Frisco Education Foundation and in a variety of fundraisers.

Residents may not realize that the same man who helped bring Pizza Hut Park to life and coordinated the move of FC Dallas to Frisco, also gives his name to Lamar Hunt Middle School. Lamar and his wife, Norma, were former American history teachers in Richardson, but Lamar is famous around the world for helping found the American Football League (AFL) and then later negotiating the AFL and NFL merger in 1966. According to the presentation, Lamar is recognized for coining the term “Super Bowl,” and he founded the Dallas Texans (now the Kansas City Chiefs). Not just a football fan, Lamar formed World Championship Tennis in 1967 and built unsurpassed soccer facilities in Ohio and Frisco. The Hunts are responsible for helping put Frisco on the map and attracting millions of visitors to the area.

While Lone Star High School may not carry a family or individual’s legacy in its title, its name is almost self-explanatory. When the name of the new high school was released, the district announced that pride is manifested in Texas, The Lone Star State, and the symbolism of the flag goes all the way back to the state’s earliest days as a Republic.

According to a statement by Frisco ISD, the vastness of Texas is symbolic of the bountiful opportunity available to students in a land of opportunity, and the students are like shining stars ready to take off in bright futures.

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