A moment of silence at the Konocti school board meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 6, commemorated the recent death of William C. Carl?, first Konocti superintendent and continuation high school advocate. A scholarship fund has been set up to benefit graduates of his namesake school who have enrolled in college.
“What a wonderful legacy,” said Carl? school secretary Barbara Dye, who said she was touched by the offer of his widow Kathleen to create the memorial scholarship.
Carl? died Thursday, Aug. 31, in Auburn at the age of 78. He served as Konocti superintendent from its formation in 1965 until his retirement in 1986.
The William C. Carl? Continuation High School opened its doors on Sept. 5, 1978, welcoming 38 students. In 2004, it feted its largest graduating class, made up of 42 students.
“This was one of the visions Bill Carl? had,” said Konocti Business Manager Laurie Altic, who worked in the district office during the last seven years of Carl?”s tenure as Konocti superintendent. “The board decided to name it in his honor.”
In successive years, Carl? school has evolved as a place that is beloved by students and staff. It is the first alternative school in California from which an educator has been named a California Teacher of the Year. “For me, it”s really about Carl?,” instructor Alan Siegel has said of this honor, bestowed in November 2004.
The following year saw Angela Siegel, also a Carl? educator, chosen as Lake County Teacher of the Year.
The school has academically scored on par among schools with larger student populations. Accountability Progress Report data released on Thursday, Aug. 31, noted Carl? school had achieved an Academic Peformance Index ranking of 697 compared to 699 at Kelseyville and Middletown high schools.
Carl? was born Sept. 21, 1927, in San Francisco. He served 14 years in the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserve. In 1957, Carl? graduated from the University of San Francisco and moved to Middletown, where he assumed his first teaching position.
From there, Carl? moved to Clearlake Highlands and began teaching at Lower Lake High School. Wanting more experience, Carl? later became principal of Burns Valley Elementary and Lower Lake Junior High School. With Konocti”s formation in 1965, he became its first superintendent.
A military dedication and mass will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Clearlake, followed by a reception. Donations may be made to the William C. Carl? Continuation High School Scholarship Fund at PO Box 309, Lower Lake CA 95457.
Contact Cynthia Parkhill at cparkhill@clearlakeobserver.com.
