New school named Edgar Rice Elementary

By Gary Raham
Wellington Correspondent

"My father and mother would never have believed it," said Ed Rice recently when asked how he felt about his name gracing the new elementary school rising west of Interstate 25 in The Knolls housing development in Wellington.

His nominators, however, had no problem believing it. "Ed influenced and touched the lives of countless young people," said one. "Naming a school in his honor would be a tribute to this individual's illustrious career that spanned over three decades in this school district and community."

The Poudre School District Board of Education officially chose Rice's name from a list of 23 nominees on Nov. 27.

"I am humbled," said Rice. "I can think of a lot of people in the district deserving the honor."

Some people refer to Rice, 71, as "Mr. Wellington." Rice's family helped pioneer the area. Rice attended school there, starting with first grade. In high school, 57 students filled out grades nine through 12 and Robert Eyestone led the faculty. The Rices farmed 40 acres of sugar beets, corn, beans and alfalfa just north of where the new school now stands. Later, his father sold the original farm and bought 120 acres a little north of Wellington proper.

With John Whitman, Rice co-captained football and basketball teams that became state champions his senior year, 1952-1953. Wellington businesses closed so everyone could see the games.

Although Rice graduated as class valedictorian in 1953, he hadn't seriously thought of extending his education until a football coach, Grover Cannon, took him to visit the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at the Colorado A&M, now Colorado State University. Rice landed a scholarship that paid the $95 for his first quarter's tuition and began to study engineering. After a tour in the Army, he used the G.I. Bill to complete a degree in physical education - which he felt suited him better than engineering - with minors in science, health and math. He taught math for many years and loved geometry with an enthusiasm that was contagious for his many students.

Rice eventually landed a position as vice principal at Rocky Mountain High School and thought he had found his academic home, but he was urged to come back to his roots. "Wellington needs you," one administrator said. Rice and his wife, Janice, thought hard about it during a fishing trip and finally decided that, yes, serving as Wellington's principal was something he should do.

He hired good people, including Tom Lopez, now principal of Rocky Mountain High School, and Sandy Bickel, principal at Webber Junior High, and motivated students from 1977 to 1986. Wellington's SAT scores went from 40 percent to 56 percent of national norms in a three-year period. He culminated his career by taking the helm at Poudre High School from 1986 to 1992.

Rice urges 21st century students entering Edgar Rice Elementary to "work hard, have as many experiences as possible--in and out of the classroom--and prepare for the next step, whatever it may turn out to be, with a strong foundation in the basics." He notes that the basics will be a little different for this generation and will include sound computer skills.

He said teachers need to work hard, too, and do their absolute best. "Treat every child with dignity," he said. "You never know when one little thing you say or do will turn them on to education."