Board OKs school campus names
School officials in the Phoenixville Area School District have selected the names for the incoming Early Learning Center and elementary school and the roadway leading up to the campus.
The board approved Phoenixville Area Early Learning Center, Manavon Elementary School and Phantom Way access road as the official names for the new school during Thursday’s meet- ing. Board President Dan Cushing was absent. The estimated $71 million school is set to open in fall 2017.
In April, the board sought submissions from the public for the school. Then the naming committee whittled over 90 suggestions down to three names for the elementary school, two names for the Early Learning Center and three names for the roadway.
“We opened this up to the community to get ideas or suggestions,” Stan Johnson, executive director of operations, previously said. “It was on the dis- trict website for the better part of a month.”
For the Early Learning Center, which will house kindergarten and first grade, the decision was between the Phoenixville Area Early Learning Center or Pickering Meadow Early Learning Center.
For the roadway leading up to the building, the choices were Phantom Parkway, Firebird Lane or Schoolhouse Lane. During Thursday’s meeting, board member Ken Butera suggested adding Phantom Way to the list of suggestions. He said it made sense given students are taught to follow the “Phantom Way” of example.
“It seems logical and reinforces what we’re trying to teach the kids everyday,” he said.
There was concern among some in the community that naming the access road could cause confusion for drivers trying to find the school, leading to extra traffic in surrounding roads and developments.
“My issue with that argument is I understand there will be people looking for the school,
that’s certainly true,” said board member Josh Gould. “There will be some confusion as there always is with anybody who doesn’t know where they’re going and is looking for something. I don’t see why having the road named something other than Pothouse Road will increase that confusion … I don’t see that it’s a problem.”
For the elementary school, the three choices were Eisenhower, Pennypacker or Manavon Elemen--
tary School. A fourth choice, Meadow Brook Elementary School was also selected, but the former owners of the Meadow Brook Golf Club asked out of respect that the district choose something else. Eisenhower was chosen because of the former president’s close ties to the area. Pennypacker was selected after the 23rd governor of Pennsylvania, Samuel Pennypacker, who was born in Phoenixville. Manavon was picked because that was the original name for Phoenixville.
Board member Lisa Longo said there had been a rumor that the Meadow Brook Golf Club owners had changed their mind and suggested the district
reach out one more time about changing the name of the elementary school to Meadow Brook instead. The other board members disagreed saying enough time had passed and they needed to make a decision.
Former Phoenixville Mayor Leo Scoda told the board previously he’d voted for Eisenhower Elementary.
“A true American hero, one of our few five-star generals in history,” Scoda said. “He led the American forces as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe for the Victory over Nazi Germany regime. And also because he has a strong Phoenixville connection.”
His son, Col. John Eisenhower, lived in Schuylkill for many years.
His oldest son, David Eisenhower, married Julie Nixon. Two of their children were born in Phoenixville Hospital.
“Also because President Eisenhower’s youngest (granddaughter), Mary, attended school here,” Scoda said, who then displayed the Class of 1973 yearbook. “As a teacher I met Mary and had Mary in class. She could have chosen any of the top private schools in the area to go to and she chose Phoenixville High School.”