01/23/2023
Comal ISD to honor fallen Marines with one of its new campus names
By Catherine Wilson The Herald-Zeitung Sep 20, 2022 Updated Sep 24, 2022
Following spirited debate by the Comal ISD Board of Trustees Monday, two elementary schools and one middle school were officially named — names with special meaning for the district, the area it serves and the people in it.
Elementary school No. 19 will be named Farias-Spitzer Elementary in honor of two local Marines who lost their lives defending their country, elementary school 20 will bear the name Comal Creek Elementary and middle school 8 will be called Bulverde Middle School.
When the recommended names chosen by the campus naming committee were presented during a regularly scheduled board meeting Monday evening, Farias-Spitzer garnered a strong emotional response from members of the board and those in attendance.
In a bid to approve the name, board treasurer Tim Hennessee delivered an impassioned speech that moved many to tears, including the family members of the fallen Marines.
“These two young men are from our district. They lived here. They lost their lives early in defense of us,” Hennessee said. “I remember the day that Sgt. Spitzer was brought home. I remember standing out on the highway at 46 and watching as he went by … It was an honor to be there — it was an honor to get to say goodbye. I think that as a district these two young men, Mr. Farias and Mr. Spitzer beyond deserve to have a school in their name.”
Sgt. Thomas Zachary Spitzer was a Canyon High School graduate and joined the United States Marine Corps soon after. At 23-years-old Spitzer was killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan.
Another Canyon High School graduate, John F. Farias, a lance corporal, passed away in 2011 during combat in Afghanistan — he was a month shy of his 21st birthday.
The board was moved by Hennessee’s plea and the naming of the school after the fallen heroes passed unanimously, causing family members to sob with joy over the decision.
“In the process of the superintendent search we talked to the candidates about how important family is, and how important community is, and how important it’s going to continue to be,” CISD Board President Jason York said. “I think (Hennessee) just put an exclamation point on that.”
Choosing the names of the remaining schools wasn’t as easy.
Brady Elementary and Comal Creek Elementary were suggested to the board for elementary school No. 20.
While not negating the service of Major General Patrick Henry Brady, the board expressed reservations over Brady’s history with Comal County and the district.
The board didn’t get the same feeling as the first school naming, but voted to approve Comal Creek Elementary for the school located across from Danville Middle School for its geography.
Bulverde Hills Middle School, John Bullis Middle School and Copper Brook Middle School were among the recommended names for middle school No. 8.
For similar reasons, John Bullis Middle School was eliminated given the camp’s location on the outskirts of the district.
Named after a nearby neighborhood, Copper Brook Middle School didn’t strike a chord with the board and felt every student should be able to connect to it — not just those who live there.
Ultimately, the board wanted a name that represented the school that would sit in the heart of Bulverde. Rather than calling it Bulverde Hills Middle School, the board opted to drop part of the name and name it Bulverde Middle School.
The next steps involve finding the matching mascots for each of the schools. The committee will meet over the next month or so to discuss mascot choices and present recommendations at the next board meeting Monday, Oct. 24.
