A Meaningful Birthday Location

CVUSD Superintendent Parvin Ahmadi celebrated her birthday last week at Evalyn Thomas Park.

It was in 1950 that Evalyn Thomas decided to run for the school board. No woman had ever been a school board member in Castro Valley before. Usually there never was a contest for the school board seats because the practice was for the incumbent members to name the replacement. This was done at such a time, as shortly after the election, then the replacement would serve until the end of the term.

Evalyn went around the community and knocked on doors at every residence.  Evalyn won by a sizeable margin.  Her election was a shock to the community and encouraged many others to follow her lead in the future.  Evalyn’s election changed the power structure of school affairs in Castro Valley rather decisively.”

Evalyn was a school board member for 14 years and there is a pocket park named after her.