Santa Ana : MacAuliffe Tops List in Contest to Name School

The most popular suggestion in a contest to name Santa Ana’s newest high school was Christa MacAuliffe High, in honor of the teacher who died in the Jan. 28 space shuttle disaster.

Four of the 30 suggestions submitted to the Santa Ana Unified School District listed the New Hampshire teacher’s name for the new high school, which will be built at Grand and McFadden avenues. Another entry recommended that it be called Challenger High, in reference to the doomed space shuttle.

One person proposed Edward S. Krass High School, which happens to be the name of the district superintendent. “He swears that neither he nor his wife sent that one in,” said district spokeswoman Diane Thomas.

Other ideas included Al Davis, Grand Horizons, McG (presumably for Grand and McFadden), Rancho Grande, Santa Ana Polytechnic, Vista Hermosa, Halley, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (a Mexican priest and revolutionary leader) and Centennial (the district will celebrate its 100th year in 1989).

Ground breaking for the new school, which officials hope will be a unique “high-tech high school,” is set for this summer, and the first class of about 1,800 students is expected to start in the 1988-89 school year.