Our School

Message From the Principal

Penngrove is a special place, and just by walking onto our campus, you get a sense of belonging and community. Students, staff and families are all equal players on the educational team, and that is something we take pride in here at Penngrove. We value all voices. Students are encouraged daily to take risks in order to grow, academically, emotionally, physically, and mentally. Our staff are trained in best practices for developing the whole student and ensuring individual needs are met. Social-emotional health and safety are a top priority, so that our students can feel safe in this environment in order to access their education to the full extent of their potential. 

Penngrove offers a wide range of opportunities for students to develop who they want to be. From academics, to music, garden, sports and so much more. Penngrove is a PBIS, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports school, meaning we believe in explicitly teaching students the expected behaviors in our community just as we would the academics to set them all up for success. Equity in all areas of humanity is a priority here at Penngrove. Students are encouraged to be themselves and celebrated by their peers and the adults for their courage to explore who that may be. Staff collaborate weekly in order to provide the best education for all our students. Critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills are emphasized as tools to help students express not only their needs, but their skills. 

Penngrove has an incredible parent presence and our PTA supports our whole community with fund-raising, exciting events and active communication. Parent involvement is a key component to student success, so we encourage parents to be as involved in their student's education as possible. We believe the purpose of education is to aid in the development of our students to be contributing members of our future society in all ways possible. 

Thanks for stopping by. Go Panthers!

Carley Harp
Principal

Penngrove School is the oldest school in the Petaluma School District. The first school in Penngrove was in a small building near the Eagle Hotel from which the school took its name. The school was moved in 1876. The next school site was at the Southwest corner of the intersection of Main Street and Sonoma-Bodega Road (Adobe Road). It was a two room structure situated very close to the creek. When it was no longer used for a school building, the teacher lived in it. It was later moved a few yards south.

Another school, Copeland, was in the area now encompassed by the Penngrove School District. It was located at the second turn of Roberts Road on the north side of the road. The 1875 Petaluma paper described it as, "a redwood building sufficiently large to accommodate the children of the district. The furniture is of redwood and of fair quality." The number of children belonging to the district was by June census, 36. W.H. Magoon is the teacher in charge. In 1877 there were 25 children in Eagle School and 43 at Copeland. The school census of 1882-83 recorded Eagle 36, Copeland 31.

In about 1906 the Eagle school was built on the East side of Main Street. It was a two room structure housing students in grades 1 through 8, then remodeled to three classrooms for 1st to 3rd, 4th to 6th. and 7th and 8th. The high school students had to take the train to Petaluma to complete their education. The property where the school was located is now owned by Penngrove Community Church. Only a few pieces of concrete foundation mark where the building stood. The lumber and columns from the structure were used in the construction of the firehouse on Woodward Avenue in 1938. Part of the original steps which went up the embankment to the school are still there, but the lower end of the staircase was changed when Main Street was widened.

In 1926 the school building on Adobe Road was built. Al Hermann was the contractor. For several years students from first to eighth grades were taught in the building's six classrooms. The first eighth grade graduation was held in this building in 1927. In the 1940's the Junior High students were bused to Petaluma and the school was just first through sixth grades. A kindergarten class was started in a basement room in 1951. Two wings were added to the school campus in 1958.

The Eagle School District joined with the Petaluma City Schools in the 1962-63 school year. A multi-use room costing about $55,000 was built in 1963-64. The Field Act effected the closure of the main building as it was deemed not earthquake safe in 1969. A modular building containing 4 classrooms, and another with 1 classroom and office space were added to the school site. In 1998 the remodeling of the old school building began and by the end of 1999, became the new home of our library, offices, computer lab, specialists, and resource rooms.

For a number of years, students completing Penngrove Elementary School attended Rohnert Park Junior High and Rancho Cotate High School but when these schools became a part of the new Cotati-Rohnert Park School District in 1978, the students from Penngrove were sent to Petaluma Junior High School and Petaluma High School.

The population of Penngrove School is approximately 400 students and 40 staff members.