SOUTH HADLEY — The school department is looking to cement the legacy of the late Plains Elementary School Principal Henry Skala by having the school renamed in his honor.

Skala, who went by “Hank,” was named the principal of Plains Elementary in 2016, and died in April of last year after falling ill in February. He was 69 years old.

During his more than six-year tenure at Plains, the East Longmeadow resident had quite an impact on the school district with many students, teachers and parents referring to Skala as a “beloved” administrator.

Among those feeling that impact was School Committee member Danielle Cooke, who proposed changing the building’s name in honor of Skala.

“He was an incredible educator and leader, and the time he served in South Hadley was since the infancy of the new Plains School building. It was just ‘his’ building,” Cooke wrote in an email to the Gazette. “Hank stood outside that building every morning and every afternoon, and was the most present administrator I have ever experienced. While he cannot stand outside anymore, students should still see him while they pass in and out of that school.”

Construction for Plains Elementary began in 2014 and was opened for new students in the fall of 2015. Cooke believes the name “Plains” refers to the area of town it’s located.

This past summer, the School Committee member received the blessing of the family to move forward with the formal process of changing the building’s name.

Prior to his passing, the Michael E. Smith Endowment for Excellence in Education, which supports educational initiatives in town, funded a “kindness” mural at the elementary school, dedicated in honor of Skala. The mural, painted by artist Bren Bataclan, includes a cartoon depiction of the Skala as a tiger — the district’s mascot — complete with a tie and glasses, as Skala often referred to students as his “tiger cubs.” The mural also includes a plaque stating that his “leadership, excellence, and smile embodies the spirit of Plains School.”

Despite the mural inside, Cooke says that she thinks all who pass by the building should see the same representation of Skala outside.

In an April 2022 letter to the family, Cooke wrote that “all of the goodness” that Skala perpetuated “still floats through the school among the colleagues left behind.”

“While I know that having Hank’s name on the front door could never replace what his smile or embrace could provide, I hope it would be a large enough reminder for everyone that comes and goes that this building truly was built on his compassion, and it should remain that way eternally,” she wrote.

With the town and school department having conflicting policies for renaming buildings and structures, Cooke said Interim Superintendent Mark McLaughlin and Town Administrator Lisa Wong helped forge a path forward. After consulting with respective counsel, McLaughlin has been moving forward with the proposal based on the requirements set forth by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

At this point, the school department is reviewing the financial costs to make the changes as it pertains to signs on the building and roads.

“Once we have these final pieces, as this was not an item that was originally budgeted for, the School Committee will have to determine the feasibility of finalizing this project,” said Cooke.

Carrying on a tradition

Cooke’s name-change proposal isn’t a first for South Hadley.

In fact, it’s more like a tradition.

In February 2001, then-South Hadley Superintendent of Schools Michael E. Smith died at 47. Shortly after his passing, the district’s middle school was renamed the Michael E. Smith Middle School. He was hired as the district superintendent in 1999.

In April 2017, Paul Plummer, then-principal of the Michael E. Smith Middle School, died suddenly at 49 years old, according to previous Gazette reports. He was principal at the middle school for four years. Prior to his passing, Plummer oversaw the construction of a small playground behind the middle school and had always hoped to expand it.

His dreams came true the following year when the community got together to build it with the help of materials donated by Water District No. 1 Superintendent Jeff Cyr. The playground was dedicated in Plummer’s honor.

This past year, a memorial bench and the South Hadley High School’s culinary arts department’s bistro, The Tigers’ Den, was dedicated to late South Hadley resident Andrew Yee, who died in May 2021 at 59 years old.

Yee, who served as an advisor in the creation of the student-run bistro, was a prominent local businessman and restaurateur.

“I guess it has just been a tradition in this town to find ways to permanently memorialize those who have left lasting impressions on our students,” said Cooke, who graduated from South Hadley High in 2008. “As a townie myself, these memorial dedications are things I’ve just witnessed our community come together for over the last two or more decades. It seems only fitting that Hank join those same ranks.”

Emily Thurlow can be reached at ethurlow@gazettenet.com.]]>