It is a sunny, tranquil, early afternoon at High School in the early autumn of 1962. Parents line up in front of the school to pick up their children. Can you identify any of their vintage automobiles? Some students are pictured boarding school buses for a ride home or at least to their bus stop. Who at that time would have believed that not even 20 years later Sunnyvale High would already be closed and, sad to say, Cupertino High School looked like it was going to suffer the same terrible fate.
The Spirit Bell, all during the 1980s, acted as a barometer of CHS school spirit. Student morale was especially high in 1984 as we won both the football and basketball championships. The threat of CHS closing in 1984, also fanned the flame of Tino spirit among students and alumni as well. This turned out to be one of the critical elements that helped save Cupertino High School. One vital person was very impressed with this spirit. Her name was Linda Lanterman. Linda especially enjoyed the annual Hall of Fame Rally. She was one of five FUHSD Board of Trustees members at the time. At the hour of reckoning she would be very vital in snatching victory from the jaws of defeat for Cupertino High School.
CUPERTINO HIGH SCHOOL’S FINEST HOUR just might have come when all seemed darkest for our Alma Mater. Sunnyvale High had been closed as the 1980s began, due to declining enrollment in the FUHSD. The closing of Sunnyvale had been proposed by Supertindent Jack Roper and the district’s chief financial officer Bob Crank. Historically in the FUHSD the Board of Trustees had never denied a Superintendent’s request and the closing of Sunnyvale High was no exception to this tradition. Although there was a public outcry against against this closing it was to no avail. When the Superintendent in 1984 decreed in private to the Board of Trustees that still another school must be closed he expected no opposition from the Board. He further mandated, privately to the board, that this time he wanted no public discussion about this closure. This Linda Lanterman, one of the newest Board members, felt would not fair to the school being closed.
So this backroom closing did not happen, she made the closing of another FUHSD school public knowledge. She invited a newspaper reporter ro the next Board meeting and at this public meeting said a closing of a school was being considered. She then made a motion to close Lynbrook High School. Roper countered this motion by suggesting that the school being closed should be one of the three located on the South side of the District, Cupertino, Lynbrook or Monte Vista. This motion was passed. Thus Linda gave Cupertino a chance to defend itself. She knew from remarks made by the Superintendent that he wanted to close Cupertino
It was quite obvious that the Superintendent had targeted Cupertino for closure. CHS at the time had the District's smallest student enrollment and was the oldest of the South Side Schools. It had been the cheapest to build and would be the cheapest to tear down and most importantly its property, because of its location, would probably sell for the most money. The other South Side Schools were much newer and the Superintendent felt would be harder to close because they serviced higher socioeconomic families. He guessed middle classed Cupertino would not put up much of a fight. He guessed wrong.
CUPERTINO HIGH WILL NEVER DIE!
It was at this juncture that CHS alumni, parents, students and the community at large stepped forward. Bumper stickers proclaiming “CUPERTINO HIGH WILL NEVER DIE” were placed on hundreds of cars and thousands of pins were worn which were inscribed with “SAVE TINO”. In addition Town Meetings were called in support of CHS in its hour of need.
Finally two Board Meetings devoted completely to school closure were held. The first was in the Lynbrook auditorium and the second, for some strange reason in the Homestead auditorium. It didn’t matter where the meetings were held, Cupertino alumni, parents and students were always in the majority. They came wearing their SAVE TINO buttons and they had much to be proud of at these closure debates.
Keith Kennedy, a parent of two boys then attending CHS, spoke for Cupertino at these two critical meetings. Two other CHS parents, Cindy McArthur (also a classified employee at Cupertino) and Joanne Tanabe, provided him with the very latest color AudioVisual aid overlays to emphasize his remarks as he addressed every criteria the district had set up for closure. The most iportant criteria was declining enrollment. Kennedy had canvassed all the district's feeder schools and he found that based on students attending grammar school at the time, over the next 10 years, CHS's student population would grow to be the 2nd largest of any of the District's high schools.
The reason for this was that a large numbers of Vietnam immigrant families had recently moved into the affordable housing, found in the CHS attendance area. This projection did not come to fruition because so many of these upwardly mobile immigrants did not remain in these modest homes. Also the emergence of Silicon Valley would drastically change the population dynamics of the FUHSD school attendance areas. But in 1984 this population projection discovered by and articulated so forcefully by Keith Kennedy turned the tide. There are very few good things to be said for the Vietnam War, but immigrants from this conflict definitely did play a major role in saving Cupertino High School.
Kennedy had now given Linda Lanterman just the proof she needed NOT to close Cupertio High. Working adroitly behind the scenes she first convinced the other female on the Board, Claire Hobbs to join her cause to save Cupertino High. She needed one more of the remaining three Board members. Two of these, Fred Kerr and Fenton Hill, regularly went to lunch with the Superintendent, so he apparently had their votes locked up. That meant the swing vote would have to be John Houlihan.
In attempting to win Houlihan over, Linda cited Kennedy's strong points for keeping Cupertino open. Then she also cited the notice given to the FUHSD Board by the City of Cupertino. That was, if Cupertino was chosen as the school to be closed, the City had first option on the property. By law they could purchase the land at a price far below the current market value. There they would build a city park. Then she revealed the motion she was going to make before the voting on which school was to be closed began. She asked for his support and he said he would seriously consider her request.
As the crucial Board meeting to decide the fate of Cupertino High was called to order every seat in the room was filled, most by Cupertino supporters. Hundreds of Cupertino supporters, unable to get seats anxiously waited for the verdict of the Trustees in the lobby outside the Board Room and in the parking lot outside the District Office. Fred Kerr, the Board President, called the meeting to order. As he went through a few formalities that always commence Board meetings, Linda Lanterman glanced toward Houlihan. He returned her look with a wonderfully reassuring nod of his head.
As Mr. Kerr finally opened the discussion on which of the three schools was to be closed, Linda immediately asked to be recognized. In a clear confident voice she made a motion that brought the packed board room to its feet cheering. "I make a motion "NOT TO CLOSE ANY FREMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOL!" The usually cool Fred Kerr seemed flustered as he banged his gavel to regain order. As order was restored, Clair Hobbs immediately seconded the motion which set off another roar from the audience. Superintendent Jack Roper showed no emotion but he must have been shocked.
Kerr had no option other than to call for a discussion and then a vote on Linda's startling motion. When the motion was carried by a 3 to 2 margain with Fred Kerr and Fenton Hill voting in the minority, the celebrating really began. Dancing, hugging, laughter, and tears of joy errupted both in the Board Room as well among the other CHS supporters faithfully waiting in attendance outside in the lobby and the parking lot.
Where Cupertino survived to fight for its life another day, Jack Roper's days were numbered. His contract was bought out by the District following the 1985-86 school year. His priority, as well as his chief financial officer Bob Crank, was always immediate financial rewards. So maybe he thought he succeeded. His contract buy out cost the District $250,000 which was a huge amount of money in 1986.
Cupertino wasn't quite out of the woods yet. Its enrollment, as well as the rest of FUHSD schools continued to shrink. Oddly a fire which leveled CHS's newest structure, the Science Building, in the first couple days of the 1986-87 school year actually helped keep Cupertino open. Now the wing of the school which originally housed the science department was repopulated by science classes. Many classrooms which were not being used because of declining enrollment were now filled by those classes moved to make room for science classes. Linda Lanterman also filled other empty classrooms by proposing a District care center for the children of teenage girls.
Then Silicon Valley began its positive impact on FUHSD tax revenues and student population. Student numbers after the Class of 2000 arrived in 1996 were never a problem again. As the 21st century dawned Cupertino became an ideal 1500 strong and has remained so ever since.
In closing if you have occasion to see Linda Lanterman or Keith Kennedy at the 50th Birthday Party for Cupertino High, thank them for making this celebration possible. Without their skills, dedication and fortitude there would be no Cupertino High School today. The only reminder of the "Home of the Powerful Pioneers" would probably, at best, be a plaque sadly proclaiming "Cupertino High School Used To Be Here". Instead, come September 19, and 20, 2008, there will be many wonderdul things for alumni to see as they roam the newly renovated CHS campus, they knew so well as students. CHSAAA hopes, you as an alumni, will join us in resolving that "CUPERTINO HIGH WILL NEVER DIE".
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HAIL TO CUPERTINO, THE SCHOOL WE LOVE THE BESTHi everyone, my name is Bill Boggie and it was my privilege and joy to be a teacher at Cupertino High School from September of 1962 until June of 2003. I and Wes Morse, CHS Class of 1989, and former Director of Student Activites at CHS, have been working for the past five years on an organization called the Cupertino High School All Alumni Association or CHSAAA for short. Wes is on temporarly loan to Homestead High but his heart is still definitely with CHS.
As you know the State of California is making huge cuts in its funding for public education. Over 20,000 students, teachers and classified employees have had what I call the "Cupertino High Connection" in the past half century. It is the hope of CHSAAA to mobilize a significant portion of this "Pool of Pioneers" for the good of Cupertino High School today.
Tino’s very own PapaDoo Run make their entrance into the 1980 CHS Hall of Fame rally as Tino students, faculty and honored guests roar their approval. At the time their rendition of "Be True to Your School" was on its way to becoming a Gold Record and the #1 record in all of California
PAPA DOO RUN's CHS alumni members are experts at creating fun. They are also a wonderful example of how many CHS alumni have already rallied to the cause of CHSAAA. We will never be able to thank PAPA enough for all their time and effort in recording their beautiful rendition of a CHSAAA original song entitled “The Ultimate School”. Be sure to give it a listen and also read their whole amazing story in the CUPERTINO CAVALCADE . Here you’ll also find out how gracious Jim Armstrong , Class of 1972, and all the rest of PAPA were when approached about not only doing "The Ultimate School" song, but also "Be True to Your School" with a wonderful "Tino Twist". Many thanks also to Chris Trevisan, Class of ’76, for composing the beautiful melody for "The Ultimate School". I know it inspired me and we hope you'll enjoy it too.
