By Michael Hutchins / Herald Democrat
A new elementary school will bear the names of two life-long Sherman educators. The Sherman Independent School Board voted unanimously to formally name the upcoming elementary school in Heritage Ranch after retired SISD educators David and Paula Parker.
The vote comes a month after the school board accepted the Parkers as worthy names for future facilities, adding them to a list of other career educators such as former SISD Superintendent David Hicks and Jack Noble.
Collectively, the Parkers worked within SISD for more than six decades.
David Parker started working in the district in 1973 and retired in 2007 having served as a teacher, assistant principal at Piner Middle School and the principal of Piner and Crutchfield and Perrin Elementary Schools. Paula Parker joined the district in 1977 and worked for three decades as a teacher at Piner, Crutchfield Washing Elementary and Dillingham Intermediate.
Paula Parker was named teacher of the year for 1998 and created Hero Day at Dillingham in 2000 as a way to honor veterans and first responders. Meanwhile, David Parker gave his time to multiple organizations and groups, including the Billy Bob Boys and Grand Central Station.
“The board accepted multiple names, all very worthy, but the unanimous recommendation from the committee was that David and Paula Parker be selected and the new elementary at the Heritage Ranch Development be named the David & Paula Parker Elementary,” SISD Superintendent Thomas O’Neal said Monday night.
“All of the names were very worthy, but the Parkers combined have 64 years total service with SISD. David Parker was a teacher, administrator for 34 years and Paula Parker was a long-time teacher in Sherman ISD totaling 30 years.
The district broke ground last year on the future David and Paula Parker Elementary inside the Heritage Ranch development, near the intersection of Plainview Road and US Highway 82. The school will feature 110,00 square-feet of space and is expected to open for the 2025-2026 school year.
Each year, the district accepts nominations for naming honors from January through March before deciding which individuals meet criteria for naming consideration. Individuals who are determined to meet these criteria are added to a list of worthy names that can be considered when choosing to name “facilities, future facilities or parts of a facility.”
The Parkers, alongside Jack Noble, were approved as potential names for facilities earlier this year due to their years of service to the district. They joined former Superintendent David Hicks, former Principal Tony Fillman and former Assistant Principal Jack Pierce, who were added to the list in 2024.
