PLACENTIA : What’s in a Name? District’s Undecided

The school board has again rejected a proposal to change the name of the Placentia Unified School District.

While school board members said they were willing to change the name to reflect the district’s service to Yorba Linda, they objected to a proposal to change it to the Placentia Linda Unified School District. Instead, the board wants Yorba in the name to reflect the area’s historic roots.

“I’m not sure if Linda is what I would like in a name because it really is an adjective in Spanish,” trustee Karin Freeman said. “ Linda means pretty in Spanish, while Yorba is the name of a family that settled and built a hacienda in the area in the 1800s.”

“I would like to see you at least come up with a name that is academic and historic,” Isabelle Hlavac, a former school board member, told the board after giving a history of the name Yorba .

A group of Yorba Linda residents said they will now petition the district to change its name to the Placentia/Yorba Linda Unified School District.

The fuss over the name change has escalated since 1989, when the Placentia district merged with the Yorba Linda School District.

“A name represents or stands for something,” said Susan Cox, who led the most recent name-change drive. “Yorba Linda needs to be recognized geographically and share in the accolades.”

School officials said that slightly more than 51% of the district’s students live in Yorba Linda and 29% come from Placentia. In addition, 17% live in Anaheim, 3% in Fullerton and 0.3% in Brea.

“Unity is something that is lacking in this district today,” Yorba Linda City Councilman John M. Gullixson said. “I see parochialism, and I see division.”

Even if a name change eventually is approved by the school board, it is likely to face opposition from parents who say that it would be a waste of money with the district facing massive budget cuts this year.

“It has always been known as the Placentia Unified School District,” said Beverly Baker, a Yorba Linda resident. “My kids went through the district and didn’t seem to falter because their district didn’t have the same name as the city where they lived.”

According to district officials, the district would have to initially spend $8,800 on repainting buses to reflect the new name, as required by the California Highway Patrol. Reprinting of business cards, stationery and patches, plus changes in computer programs, could be made as supplies or systems wear down, and some cities say they would be willing to pay for new signs. In the end, the final cost is estimated at $37,800.