I had to chuckle a little to myself over the "urgency" for WCHS to rename Claypool school. Seeing as how Leesburg's name is to remain the same, I was a bit perplexed as to why the rush.
Honestly, by now, I'm sure Claypool and Silver Lake parents are tired and past the point of asking "why" about anything the school board does.
I remember the issue of overcrowding being brought up at all of those meetings when the original discussions to close the schools was on the table. The schools were closed, and guess what, Warsaw has overcrowding. But somehow the satisfaction of "I told you so" isn't enough for the dying economy of Silver Lake right now. Somehow ripping the school out of a great town to call home isn't easily mended with a consolation of re-opening a school we warned against closing in the first place. I have a suspicion it all falls a bit short in the eyes of Silver Lake residents.
Why is it necessary to change Claypool's name? Randy Martz was named in the Times-Union as suggesting, "People in Claypool and Silver Lake have always butted heads." Really? Butted heads? Don't get me wrong, the one school Silver Lake wanted to beat more than any other elementary was Claypool, but that's what rivalry is. Come summertime when Claypool kids joined the Silver Lake Youth League in T-ball, Little League, and Softball, somehow, miraculously those rivalries faded. That is, of course, until next year's basketball season. But we do live in Indiana, those things should be expected.
Warsaw is home to several Miss and Mister Indiana Basketball honorees. Guess where two of those kids went to school? Yep, you guessed it, Claypool.
Randy Polston, probably one of Warsaw's favorite principals, who is principal for Harrison, started his career at Claypool. A school board member and a man I personally hold high respect for, Eugene England, both taught, coached and was principal for Claypool and Silver Lake. (Though I'm going to be biased and say he liked being a Rambler better than a Knight.) The one teacher who got me to actually enjoy math, Ann Sibray, was married to Paul Sibray, who taught at Claypool. So yeah, we might have butted heads, I suppose, during basketball, but Claypool and Silver Lake are so much more intertwined than many know, or can appreciate.
I know that the people in Silver Lake have long memories, but small towns share something that most other places don't understand. That's the aspect of family, community ties, and that when big towns push one of us around, we all stand together. So whatever Claypool's name becomes or stays, whatever mascot the teams cheer for, or colors the uniforms have, it really won't matter, for the next 20 years it will be Claypool School to the people who live there, and yes, even to Silver Lake.
