About Us

The corner of Avenue C and 16th Street was changed from a pasture where sheep often grazed to a new constructed kindergarten through sixth grade in July of 1978. Jon Jessen was the acting Crane Board president; Lenore B. Mayle was the clerk. Other members on the board were Elizabeth P. Keddie, Karl A. Dennis and Jess Baker. N.J. Riebe Enterprises, Inc. of Yuma served as builder for the school project. Due to recent destructive earthquakes in nearby California, the school was constructed with the idea that the construction and materials used would provide optimum safety if an earthquake should occur.

 

The school was named for former Crane Superintendent, H. L. (Hank) Suverkrup. John Sells was the first principal to work as administrator at H.L. Suverkrup during the 1978/79 school year. Thad Jennings took over as principal in July of 1979 and served as principal until the school was converted to a junior high. John Clark and Phil Blais worked as assistant principals during the years prior to the conversion. When the school became a junior high school during the 1982/83 school year, Phil Blais accepted the position as principal at the school. Tom Tyree served as assistant principal working with Phil Blais from 1986 to 1988.

 

The Magnet School, which would later become Ronald Reagan Fundamental School, was also housed on the H.L. Suverkrup campus. Portable classrooms were placed on the east side of the school. These six classrooms were used for the magnet school starting in 1982.

 

H. L. Suverkrup was returned to a kindergarten through grade six elementary school in July 1987.Kathy Fleenor was appointed as principal for the reconverted elementary school. Phil Blais moved to the newly constructed Crane Junior High School that is located on 32nd street just off of Avenue C.

 

In the nineties the school population changed with the opening of Valley Horizon Elementary School. Suverkrup, the “Bulldog” school, became a schoolwide Title 1 site, reconfigured the library, instructional media center, and computer lab into the “heart of the school” and focused on meeting the many needs of its population. In 1995, the Crane Family Literacy Program moved to the site. This program offered parents and their four-year-old students the opportunity for increasing their educational opportunities. Parents attend adult education and parenting classes while their youngsters are in session. They are able to work on basic skills, learning English and obtaining the general education diplomas.

 

Community programs such as Parents Anonymous and Big Brothers, Big Sisters find a willing partner with Suverkrup staff They work together to help the children meet the challenges of the future!