LAGUNA NIGUEL : School Named for Trustee Is Open

Longtime San Clemente resident George White said having a school named for him is “a strange feeling.”

However, on Monday, 564 students attended the first day of classes at the sparkling new George White Elementary School at 25422 Chaparrosa Park Road, just off the Street of the Golden Lantern. It’s the newest addition to the Capistrano Unified School District, which has 24,363 students and stretches over San Clemente, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, Aliso Viejo and Mission Viejo, as well as Laguna Niguel.

“I guess it’s kind of like being called the outstanding player on a team,” said White, 66. “A whole bunch of people have worked at what that one person is being recognized for. I always feel like I hope they don’t mind.”

White has been a paraplegic since 1944 when, while serving in the Naval Reserve in the Admiralty Islands, a tumor next to his spine was not diagnosed early enough to prevent permanent damage. Still, White went on to graduate from UCLA, marry his former nurse, have two children and serve on the school board for nearly 13 years.

“I guess I was lucky. Maybe I had a better attitude than most,” White said.

White moved to San Clemente in 1963 when his house, on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean, cost him and his wife, Dorothy, $28,000. He became interested in school issues a few years later through the booster club at the then new San Clemente High School.

His election to the board came in 1971 when the hot issue of the day was the paving of the playground at the old Junipero Serra School in Capistrano Beach (it’s now the school district’s transportation center). Three incumbents were ousted over the issue.

“Funny thing was, nobody ever asked me if I would have paved the playground,” White said. “I probably would have said yes.”

The Capistrano district is still growing after all those years. In 1980, the district enrollment numbered about 17,000. Next year an additional 1,000 students are expected. In the next five years, depending on funding, the district hopes to add two elementary schools, one junior high school and one high school, said Linda Kroner, the district’s director of employee relations.

White believes that the two-year, $6.8-million project was a success, judging by the finished product.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a school that looks quite as nice as this one,” he said.