Vignette 250 > Edna Maguire
In January 2014, students moved into the newly constructed Edna Maguire Elementary School at 80 Lomita Drive where Alto School was the original elementary school. In 1952, 7th and 8th graders had started attending Alto School. In 1956, the adjacent Edna Maguire School opened for grades 7 and 8, and Alto School became an elementary school. In 1972, Mill Valley Middle School for 7th and 8th graders opened on Sycamore Ave., and Alto Elementary moved into the vacated buildings as Alto Edna Maguire School. In 1981, it closed owing to declining enrollment. In 1990, Edna Maguire Elementary School re-opened. In 2012 it closed and all buildings on the entire site were demolished. Who was Edna Maguire? In September 1920, she came to the Mill Valley School District as a teacher–principal of Homestead School. In 1927, she took the same position at Park School. After 20 years as teacher-principal, she gave up being a principal and taught as a primary teacher. In 1954, she retired from the Mill Valley School District and taught part-time in various private schools in Marin. She also served as president of the California teachers Association. In 1980, she died in a Santa Rosa convalescent home at age 92.
