The former face of PlacerHigh Schoolin its once glory days is back. Toby Covich has led and effort to reintroduce the once great sign that welcomed visitors to Placer.
The sign has found its place back where it once was some 25 years ago. Covich was able to convince Principal Peter Efstathiu to bring it back. According to Covich, Efsthaiu was skeptical on bringing the sign back and if it had not been up to par would have had a new one made.
“We were the flagship,” Covich, ceramics teacher said about the time during the 1980s when the sign was introduced. During the 80s Placer was at the pinnacle of public schools under the leadership of Principal Tom Johnson among others.
The sign was made by then wood shop teacher John Balaam and placed at the corner of High andAgard street where the carved sign greets those entering the campus.

In the 1990s Placer was one of the few charter schools in the area and was thriving. The school led in performance and student-teacher relations were better than ever. The charter school designation allowed Placer more freedom than those with tighter state control.

“Teachers were the legislature, we vote[d] on projects,” Covich stated. The charter school style allowed Placer to do many actions without the holdups of waiting for the state to work with them. The voting amongst teachers on new ideas, projects and programs proved beneficial to the schools success and future growth.
“[We] started senior project then, started the block schedule, [the] school grew more during those years than ever before,” Covich said.
After the Johnson era, new principal Dr. Mike McCoy took over the reigns and had the sign replaced. Covich said that McCoy believed the sign was not industrial and modern enough for the mission that McCoy planned to implement. Luckily when the day came for it to be replaced, Covich managed to salvage the old sign and keep it around for when it would be appropriate to reintroduce it to the school. Covich believed it was a piece of Placer history that could be best kept in the art gallery.

While there was an abundance of growth in the 80s and 90s, now Placer along with most public schools are hurting for growth and support in the dire straights that are plaguingCaliforniaschools in 2012.

But this sign may be the sign of a once forgotten era resurrected once again at Placer.

Covich along with others in the art department have a vision of a remade sculpture garden behind the art building. Currently the space behind the art building is not much more than a parking lot and storage area for some larger pieces of art. But with a certain vision it may become a new display area for student art and senior projects.
Covich already has plans made for the patio and sculpture garden, so for him it is only a matter of finances.

“We will need to find some money,” Covich commented about the project. At the current time with little funding and support Covich believes that the project behind the art building is a ways off. He believes that the project will be passed along to his art department colleagues for them to make it happen during a brighter time in the area.

Former Vice-Principal Gary Pantaleoni had steps put in that make the area accessible from the sidewalk on High street. Covich is hoping to then have a trail continue from that point through the large trees to the back of the art building where a patio would be built and many different works of art could be displayed outside for students, teachers and community members alike to visit and enjoy what Placer High students are up to in the art department.

Covich already has a few large pieces of metal art ready to be displayed on this new patio and garden, as well as a metal Hillmen mascot that will accompany the new sign at the street corner.

“[It] was like a renaissance,” Covich commented about the time during the Johnson era. Covich believes that Efstathiu is a great addition and is the type of leader that Placer needs to get back on the successful path.

To the average viewer it is just a sign that says “PlacerHigh School” but it is unknown what the sign could bring back to the school. The reinserting of the sign may just be what Placer needs to help spark some hope to get back to the Placer Renaissance.