History of the Mark West School District

The original small frame Mark West school was first opened in 1868. William Mark West, of Scottish descent, was one of the original 25 families that came to Sonoma County between 1835 and 1840. He was a carpenter, lumber man, sailor, and farmer. William Mark West met and married Guadalupe Vasquez in Santa Cruz, Mexico in 1832. Guadalupe was a niece of General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, and a cousin of the Governor of Mexican California, Juan Bautista Alvarado. Mark and Guadalupe had seven children. William Mark West acquired 6,663 acres from Governor Alvarado in 1840 and built Rancho San Miguel. The land was located between Santa Rosa Creek and what is now known as Mark West Creek. William Mark West and Guadalupe built a large adobe home on the Rancho, and established a trading post, a post office, and a school near the beautiful stream which now bears his name. It was the only Spanish school in the county. This site also included a general store, a blacksmith shop by the bridge and further up the creek was the Wikiup Saw Mill. The cottonwood trees, which are now a historical landmark, were planted in the 1870's. This community of William Mark West was located where the present Mark West School is located now, on the corner of Old Redwood Highway and Lavell Road. The original Mark West School was located on what is now the primary playground.

William Mark West died in 1849 leaving his land to his wife and seven children. Soon after his death the San Francisco and Northern Pacific Railroad was established. As more settlers entered the area, Markus West opened the school house on the San Miguel Rancho in 1868. The school house was named after the late Mark West. It was the first school in the county to have Spanish as the social and academic language.

The original Riebli School was built in 1907 by John B. Riebli. John was a Swiss immigrant who purchased land in 1905 along Mark West Creek. There were six children in his family and the schoolhouses in the area were too far away for his children to attend. He donated land for a schoolhouse and schoolyard and the school took his name. It opened with 27 students in one room including the Riebli children. The original teacher was Harriet Burnett, who boarded at the Riebli house. This was a standard practice in county schools. A few years later, teacher Lulu Helman drove out from town every day in a horse and buggy. In 1943 there were just sixteen students in Riebli School and with improved transportation, pupils began attending Mark West School. Riebli School soon closed and the district disbanded. The property reverted back to the Riebli family. Ed Riebli, one of the original students, razed the schoolhouse and built his home on the site where it still stands today on a parcel that is now part of Riebli Road.

In 1946 Mark West School combined with three other schools to form the Mark West Union School District. Those schools were Fulton, Riebli, and Lone Redwood.

The first wing of the current Mark West School was built in 1946, San Miguel was built in 1966, and Riebli was rebuilt in 1992 (The bell from the original Riebli School is currently displayed in the alcove above the entrance to the school's multi-purpose room).

Today the Mark West Union School District is located in Sonoma County, California just north of Santa Rosa. The district covers 75 square miles and has a combination suburban and rural setting. Mark West Union School District is a K-6 district with approximately 1510 students on 3 school sites located within 2 miles of each other. The enrollment has grown significantly in the last several years. Students in grades K-6 attend San Miguel, Mark West and John B. Riebli Elementary Schools.

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