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Two Names Suggested For New School

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By GEORGE H. NEWMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 24, 2008

PLANT CITY - Two names have been suggested for a new high school under construction near Interstate 4 and McIntosh Road.

In a friendly rivalry, two families that used to own much of the acreage where the school is being built are agreeing to disagree on what name they would like the school to bear.

One family wants to name the high school in honor of the late O.M. Griffin, who farmed much of the property. The other wants to name it Strawberry Crest to salute the berry industry.
The Hillsborough County School Board will decide.

The property, including a strawberry farm of 101.5 acres, was purchased by the school board in July 2007 for $10.7 million. A high school and elementary are to open there in August. A middle school is planned for the same campus in about four years.

The family of Griffin, a longtime strawberry farmer who died in 2004, sold a little more than half the campus, 56.8 acres, to the school board for about $5.8 million. The high school's track and football stadium, the baseball field and tennis courts will be built in that area.

Faye Griffin Blount, O. M. Griffin's oldest daughter, said the family has support in the area for its suggested name.
"Our family and friends throughout the community would love for the high school to be named after my father," Blount said. "My mother [O. M. Griffin's widow Grace] was in favor of selling the property to the school system. I worked in the school district. My sister is an agricultural teacher. Dad was well respected in the community. He was honest, trustworthy, religious, pro education and very instrumental in the growth of the agricultural industry in the Dover/Plant City area. The name O. M. Griffin would be a perfect fit on that school."

Former school board member Joe Newsome is heading up a group of strawberry farmers who would like it named Strawberry Crest High School.
Newsome and other Newsome family members sold the school district 33.55 acres north of Newsome Road — where the high school's main buildings will sit — for $3.77 million. The purchase included property in the southwest corner of Newsome and Gallagher roads that will be used in part for the elementary school. An adjoining parcel, 9.82 acres, lying west on Newsome Road, will also be a part of the elementary campus. Stephen Glaros sold it to the school board for about $1 million, county records show.

Newsome, a 25-year veteran of the school board who also farmed the property, said he understands why the Griffin family would like the school named after his old family friend.

"There is no fight here," Newsome said. "But there are a lot of pioneer farmers that had a lot to do with the success of farming — and in particular the strawberry industry in this area," Newsome said. "A lot of the farmers would rather not single out an individual. Naming the school after the crop that made this area famous makes a lot of sense to me."

While two names have been suggested for the high school, there's only one name suggested so far for the elementary. Dover resident C.W. Dukes has organized an effort to name the elementary after Carl L. Carpenter Jr., a former school board member and state lawmaker.

Dukes said Carpenter was on the school board during some key times in the county's history, including the district's first bond issue, desegregation, a teachers strike and funding the district administration building. He also is a member of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association Hall of Fame.

"The amount of good that Carl Carpenter has done for the people who live in eastern Hillsborough County can not be overstated. I have no favorite in the naming of the high school. I support both families involved. But as for the elementary school, there couldn't possibly be a stronger candidate than Carl Carpenter Jr.," Dukes said.

Carpenter served for 16 years on the school board and another 12 years in the Florida Legislature. There seems to be a strong consensus in the Dover area on the naming of that school after Carpenter, Dukes said.

Linda E. Cobbe, a spokeswoman for the school system, said the district seeks suggested names for new schools from people and organizations within the community.

The school board is responsible for the naming of schools. In this case Area VI Director Barbara Franques receives the nominations and turns them over to the district's communications department.

The names are forwarded to the school board, with material provided by the nominating parties collected in separate booklets.
"The school board then narrows down the nominations and finally decides on a name," Cobbe said.

According to school board policy, schools shall be named for individuals who have rendered outstanding service to public education, such as U.S. presidents, school board members, educators and outstanding citizens. Schools also may be named for geographic locations and for groups and clubs. When naming a new school or other existing facility, input shall be solicited from neighboring schools and the community at large.

TO MAKE A NOMINATION
Nominations will be taken through the Oct. 12, and the school board could announce the official name of the school as early as Nov. 6.
Anyone wishing to nominate a name for the high school or elementary school or support the names already offered should send their thoughts in writing to Franques' e-mail address, barbara.franques@sdhc.k12.fl.us, or call her office at (813) 707-7050.

Reporter George H. Newman can be reached at (813) 865-4451 or gnewman@tampatrib.com.

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