School to keep name as ‘College View’

Glendale educators have decided against changing the name of College View School, citing a survey that indicated people wanted the name to remain as is.

The school serves about 80 severely disabled students. In February, College View parent Amy Keating Rogers asked the school board to look into changing the name.

“As a parent of a child going to College View, knowing that my child is not going to attend college, and we just have a view of a college, it’s kind of a bummer of a name,” she said then, the same week Glendale Unified held a groundbreaking ceremony on the campus.

The school is in the beginning stages of reconstruction with $24.3 million in bond funds to serve the same student demographic.

Glendale educators followed up on her proposal, noting that other parents felt it was a common misperception that College View was a college preparatory school. After surveying parents and staff members of the school, they released results of 76 respondents this week.

In all, with 28 people favoring a name change and 48 opposing it, “It was not overwhelming in favor of changing the name,” said Amy Lambert, assistant superintendent of special education for Glendale Unified.

She said some who wanted to maintain it as College View believed the same name would continue to honor students who have attended the school in the past.

College View School opened at its current site in 1977 across the street from Glendale Community College to serve students with special needs. Back then, it was called Glendale Development Center for the Handicapped before its name changed to College View School in 1984.

The school began operating in 1970 adjacent to Columbus Elementary and was called Home School.

“I hope we make it abundantly clear to the parents of College View that should there come a day when they want to revisit this issue, the board will always be open to hearing what they have to say,” said school board President Mary Boger.

For Rogers, she said she was pleased the district collected stakeholders’ opinions.

“I’m glad the survey was made available so that everyone in the College View School community was able to express their opinion on whether or not the school’s name should or shouldn’t be changed,” she said.