School District Celebrates History, Education, the Future

The commemoration of the school district's 50th anniversary was attended by parents, faculty, local dignitaries and LVUSD founding figures Tuesday evening.

"Fifty years of the Las Virgenes School system has produced one of the best educational systems in the country," Rep. Henry Waxman told Patch.

The hour-and-a-half celebration, which included speeches and student presentations, was held before the regularly scheduled school board meeting at the Calabasas Performing Arts Education Center and was emceed by Board President Lesli Stein and Superintendent Dan Stepenosky.

Before a gathering of approximately 200 people, visiting officials spoke of the influence the school district has had on the community. 

"All of us on the council are well aware that the key to the value and the prestige of the quality of life in the City of Calabasas is our incredible Las Virgenes Unified School District," said Calabasas Mayor Fred Gaines.

Agoura Hills Mayor Denis Weber said he appreciates the partnership between the school board and the city.

"Each one of the council members values their input and all they've done to make this a special school district," he said.

The first school in the Las Virgenes area was the Calabasas School, established in 1888 by Judge Isaac C. Ijams. The Ijams were one of the first families to homestead in the Calabasas area. Judge Ijams started the school for his own four children and other area youngsters in an empty Granery.

In the audience, five generations of Ijams' descendants were represented.

"My mother grew up here and taught in the district," said Wally Hull, Ijams' great grandson. "We've been around a long time."

Hull's grandson, Dylan, whose children attend school at Willow Elementary, said he is proud of his family's legacy.

"The school district is definitely a big reason for staying here," he said.

Also in the audience was 91-year-old Alice Stelle, for which A.C. Stelle Middle School was named. In the early 60s, Stelle was  a member of the Las Virgenes Union Elementary Board and one of the leaders of a group favoring independent unification. It was mainly thanks to her efforts that the district was born in 1963.

"I'm very proud of it," she said. "That I was connected with [this district] at all."

Stepenosky praised Stelle's determination.

"When you talk to Alice, you get a sense that she is a lady who had great vision and knew where she wanted to go and would stop at nothing until her goal was achieved," he said.

The theme of the evening was history and a celebration of education. Intermingled with historic monologues read by students were presentations to the winners of the art, essay and logo contest winners.

At the end of the evening, principals from each of the schools in the district presented items to be placed into a time capsule to be opened by future students.

"It's really important to stop, pause and reflect on what's gone before," Stepenosky told Patch. "The foundation of what we have here is amazing and really needs to be appreciated."