New campus gets name
'Wharton Elementary' beats out 'Sugar Mill Elementary'
By BENJAMIN C. SHARP bensharp@journal-spectator.com

Wharton's new elementary school now has a name, and it's one that should be easy to remember.

The Wharton ISD school board on Thursday voted to name the campus Wharton Elementary School. It wasn't unanimous, however.

Board chairman Don Erdelt opted to name the campus Sugar Mill Elementary, in deference to the remnants of an old sugar mill that were found on the site where the school is now being built. And trustee Marc Aaronson voted to name it Horton Foote Elementary, said Wharton ISD's Marjorie Sklar.

The rest of the board, though, supported naming it Wharton Elementary School. Trustees voting for that title were Gary Ward, Billie Bahnsen, Paul Fertsch and Hazel Hurd. Board member Ronnie Bollom was absent from Thursday's meeting.

A public survey indicated area residents were most supportive of Sugar Mill Elementary. The Wharton Elementary School title was the second most supported title, according to Sklar.

In all, though, there were over 22 different suggestions. Those included Boling Highway Elementary, Caney Creek Elementary, Dan Rather Elementary, Estill Elementary, Ethel Garrett Elementary, Joe Urbanovsky Elementary, Julius Gengsburg Elementary, Kenneth Hewett Elementary, Pat Hoke Elementary, Sunny Side Elementary, Thomas Pickett Elementary and Wharton Upper Elementary.

The district received 430 total responses.