The Echo

Porter Road Elementary School to be Named for Former State Representative William A. Oberle, Jr.


The Christina School District Board of Education has voted to name the current Porter Road Elementary School “William A. Oberle, Jr. Elementary School” beginning in August, 2011. The school is located off of Porter Road near Route 40 in Bear. Mr. Oberle recently retired from the Delaware House of Representatives after serving for 34 years as a representative of the 24th District in Newark.

Mr. Oberle is considered a true advocate for the children of the Christina School District, and throughout his service in the Delaware legislature he was a consistent supporter of initiatives that would increase the success of District students. He was instrumental in helping the District to secure funding for many capital projects, including Porter Road Elementary School and the new Delaware School for the Deaf.

Construction of Porter Road Elementary School was approved in 2002 and additional funding to complete the project was provided by a successful capital referendum held in November, 2007. The construction of this new elementary school allowed Christina to implement its approved Neighborhood Schools Plan: the Community Consensus Plan. The school opened in August, 2009. Construction on the new Delaware School for the Deaf will be completed this spring, and the school will open in August, 2011. Representative Oberle’s assistance in securing funding and supporting these projects was a key factor in their completion, and his efforts helped the Christina School District achieve the goals of implementing its Neighborhood Schools Plan and expanding services to deaf and hard of hearing children throughout the state.

On January 4, 2011, the Christina Board of Education voted to officially name Porter Road Elementary School William A. Oberle, Jr. Elementary School in recognition of Mr. Oberle’s many contributions to the Christina School District during his remarkable years of service. The name of the school will formally change at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, when a special dedication ceremony is planned.