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Collection of Materials Relating to Public Education on the Palos Verdes Peninsula
015
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Table of contents
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Palos Verdes Library District, Peninsula Center Library. Local History Center.
Title: Collection of Materials Relating to Public Education on the Palos Verdes Peninsula
Creator:
Van Note, Jeanne
Creator:
Palos Verdes School District (1925-1961)
Creator:
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (1961- )
Creator:
Palos Verdes Library District
Identifier/Call Number: 015
Physical Description:
3 Cubic Feet
6 letter document boxes, 2 legal document boxes, 8 oversize items in flat file
Date (bulk): 1937-1996 Inclusive
Abstract: Collection of materials relating to public education on the Peninsula from its beginnings in 1925 through the early 1980s.
The bulk of the collection documents the period 1955-1965 and covers the unification of the school district on the Peninsula
and several school bond elections.
Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the Local History Center for access information.
The collection is open for research use.
[Name of item], Collection of Materials Relating to Public Education on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. (Collection 015). Local
History Center, Peninsula Center Library, Palos Verdes Library District, Rolling Hills Estates, CA.
The Palos Verdes School District (PVSD) formed on January 26, 1925 as an elementary school district officially when unincorporated
Palos Verdes withdrew from the Los Angeles City Elementary School District. The District began by serving 26 students from
kindergarten through 8th grade in its first facility set up in two rooms above a drug store in Malaga Cove Plaza. High school
students were sent out of the District to attend Los Angeles City schools in Redondo Beach. The first official school on the
Peninsula, Malaga Cove School, opened in 1926 followed by Miraleste School in 1929. The school district continued to grow
and, between 1955 and 1965, enrollment went from 2,285 to 13,204 students.
Attempts to form a unified school district on the Peninsula, which would provide an educational program for all K-12 students
to attend school on the Peninsula failed to pass in 1953, 1954, and 1957. Finally, in October of 1960, voters elected to form
a unified school district. On July 1, 1961, PVSD officially unified and became the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District
(PVPUSD). In September 1961 Palos Verdes High School, the first public high school on the Peninsula, opened with an enrollment
of 2,043 students.
By 1973 enrollment in the District reached a high of 17,836 students resulting in serious overcrowding. Various measures
were used to address the issue including redrawing attendance boundaries. The District also studied the viability of a year-round
schedule with double sessions, extended-day sessions, reduction of high school graduation requirements and the purchase of
portable classrooms.
PVPUSD changed greatly in the 1970s largely due to changes in the way the District was funded. Prior to 1972, most District
income came from local property taxes which were based on assessed property value. In 1974 however, student enrollment became
the most important factor in determining District income. While the District had a high enrollment in 1973, the next year
enrollment started to drop thus reducing the District's funding.
Due to budget shortfalls, the District cut student programs and started to lay off its teachers in 1975. Local efforts to
increase revenue limits per student were defeated. Through 1979, the District made further reductions in its staffing, closed
facilities and cut student programs including sports. In 1992, Miraleste High School and Palos Verdes High School were closed
and all high school students on the Peninsula were funneled to the former Rolling Hills High School campus, re-named Peninsula
High School.
As of October 2016, the PVPUSD serves the four cities on the Peninsula as well its unincorporated areas with enrollment of
approximately 11,500 students. The District includes: two early childhood centers, ten elementary schools, three intermediate
schools, two high schools and one continuation school. PVPUSD has repeatedly been recognized as a top performing school district
in California.
Jeanne Van Note was appointed to the PVSD Board of Trustees in 1956. She was elected as President of the Board in 1958 and
was President at the time of the school district unification election in 1960. Van Note retired from the school board in 1961.
Arranged into ten series alphabetically and thereunder chronologically. Series 10 is further arranged into subseries alphabetically
and thereunder chronologically.
Series 1: Correspondence 1955-1983; Bulk 1955-1960
Series 2: Reports and printed materials by Palos Verdes School District (PVSD)/Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District
(PVPUSD)
Series 3: Committees and associations
Series 4: Unification
Series 5: School Bond/Tax Elections
Series 6: Survey, 1957
Series 7: Reports on the Palos Verdes School District (PVSD)/Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD)
Series 8: School Board/Board of Trustees
Series 9: Research materials and clippings
Series 10: School Materials
- Dapplegray Intermediate School, 1961-1967
- Lunada Bay Elementary School, 1959
- Malaga Cove School, 1937-1965
- Malaga Cove Intermediate School, 1966-1990
- Miraleste Elementary School, 1960-1982
- Miraleste High School, 1969; 1971
- Palos Verdes High School, 1961; 1972; 1976
- Pointe Vicente Elementary School, 1991
- Ridgecrest Intermediate School, 1983
- Rolling Hills High School, 1968
- Silver Spur Elementary School, 1984
- Unidentified School Materials
The collection includes correspondence, reports, clippings, research materials, drafts and results of a parent survey in 1957.
Much of the correspondence, survey materials and research notes are written by Jeanne Van Note.
Public schools noted within the collection include: Dapplegray Intermediate, La Cresta, Ladera Linda, Lunada Bay, Malaga Cove,
Malaga Cove Intermediate, Mira Catalina, Margate Intermediate, Mar Vista High (on the campus of Palos Verdes High), Miraleste
High, Miraleste Elementary, Montemalaga, Palos Verdes High, Pedregal Elementary, Peninsula High, Point Vicente, Portuguese
Bend, Rancho Vista Elementary, Ridgecrest Intermediate, Rolling Hills High, Rolling Hills Primary, Silver Spur Elementary,
Soleado Elementary, Valmonte, and Vista Grande Elementary.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Assembled from various donations and materials collected by the Library.
Initial rehousing and stabilization of materials by Stella Castillo. Final arrangement and description by Stella Castillo,
October 21, 2016. The arrangement scheme for the collection was imposed during processing.
Palos Verdes Homes Association Photo Collection Boxes 3, 28, 29, 30
School District Clippings Files
Yearbook Collection
Alpay, Beverly A., ed. "Long-range Comprehensive Master Plan: 1986-1991." Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA. 1987.
Local History Room 379.1535 Pal
"Commercial/Industrial Development School Fee Justification Study." David Taussig & Associates, Inc. January 2002. Newport
Beach, CA.
Local History Room 371.6 Commercial
Committee to Study Impact of Declining Enrollment. "Final Report of Committee to Study Impact of Declining Enrollment." December
1979
Local History Room R379.1535 Pal
District Advisory Committee on the Disposition of Unneeded School Buildings and Space. "Final Report of The 1982 District
Advisory Committee on the Disposition of Unneeded School Buildings and Space."
May 1982.
East Peninsula Education Council vs Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District: Transcript of Proceedings. May 10, 1988.
LHR R379.1535 East V.1
East Peninsula Education Council vs Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District: Appendix of frequently cited documents
filed… May 10, 1988.
LHR R379.1535 East V.2
East Peninsula Education Council vs Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District: Deposition of Sarajane Burrage. February
18, 1988.
LHR R379.1535 East V.3
East Peninsula Education Council vs Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District: Deposition of David Capeluto. February
23, 1988.
LHR R379.1535 East V.4
East Peninsula Education Council vs Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District: Deposition of Jack Price Volume 1. February
26, 1988.
LHR R379.1535 East V.5
East Peninsula Education Council vs Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District: Deposition of Jack Price Volume 2. February
29, 1988.
LHR R379.1535 East V.6
Education Evaluation Associates. "Feasibility study of year-round education and other alternatives: Prepared for Palos Verdes
Peninsula School District." Los Angeles, CA. January 1974.
Local History Room R371.236 Edu
"Establishment of a permanent location for the Rancho del Mar Continuation High School: Program commencing 1985-86 school
year." Michael Brandman Associates. Costa Mesa, CA. 1985.
Local History Room 374.8 Mic
"Feasibility study of year-round education and other alternatives: prepared for Palos Verdes Peninsula School District." Education
Evaluation Associates. January 1974.
R371.236 Edu
"Final Report of Committee to Advise on the Disposition of Unneeded School Buildings." Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA. April 1980.
Local History Room R371.6 Com
"Miraleste High School Closure: Final Environmental Impact Report." Michael Brandman Associates. Los Angeles, CA. November
1990.
Local History Room 371.6 Final
"Palos Verdes Peninsula Five-year deferred maintenance plan, 1987-88 – 1991-2: by project category, by school." March 7, 1988.
Local History Room R371.6 Palos
Palos Verdes Peninsula Five-year deferred maintenance plan, 1988-89 – 1992-93: by project category, by school." March 3, 1989.
Local History Room R371.6 Palos
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District. "Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District Long-Range Comprehensive Master
Plan." December 1981.
Local History Room R379.1535 Pal
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District. "Staff Report on Educational and Financial Implications of EIR project and
Alternatives." Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA. 1990.
Local History Room 371.6 Palos
Palos Verdes School District. "The Report of the Survey: Palos Verdes School District." April 1956
Local History Room R371.7949 Pal
"Proposed formation of East Peninsula Unified School District. County Committee responses." February 24, 1988.
Local history Room R379.1535 Palos
"Residential development school fee justification study for Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District." December 19,
2001.
Local History Room 371.6 Residential
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Public schools
School districts
School districts--California--Palos Verdes Peninsula
Public Schools--California--Palos Verdes Peninsula
Palos Verdes School District (Calif.)
Education