Tam District Punts On Renaming Drake High: Report

SAN ANSELMO — A lively meeting earlier this week on the renaming of Sir Francis Drake High School produced no results.

The Tamalpais Union High District’s board members agreed in principle on renaming the San Anselmo school that bears the name of a 16th century slave trader.

But they split on key procedural details at Tuesday’s meeting, effectively punting on the process back to a school council, The Marin Independent Journal reports.

The Drake Leadership Council, which was empaneled in September, must now start over according to the report.

Trustees Kevin Saaverda and Dan Oppenheim both backed the move to send the process back for review, the report said.

Both expressed the view that the process should be more inclusive of the district’s 87,000 or so residents, the report said.

Trustees Leslie Harlander and Cynthia Roenisch disputed their assertion according to the report.

“Even if the majority of our 87,000 district residents say not to change the name, I would say ‘sorry,’ because it’s hurting our students,” Harlander said according to the report.

Read more in The Marin Independent Journal