Beginning Friday, Dec. 19, the nomination period for potential inductees for the Escalon Unified School District Hall of Fame will open. The nominations will be accepted through Jan. 30, 2026 with the induction ceremony scheduled for March 20, 2026.

“Throughout the history of the Escalon Unified School District, notable contributions to the educational society have been made by individuals of our communities,” information from the school district indicates in the Hall of Fame material. “Frequently these men and women receive little or no recognition for their dedication, and if recognized at a particular point in time, are forgotten with the passage of years.”

Through induction, the Hall of Fame permanently honors individuals who have made significant contributions within the District.

“Inductees are recognized with a displayed photo and plaque, featuring their name and year of selection. Additionally, their photo and a summary of achievements will also be featured on the district’s website for one year,” the district added.

Applications will be available for pick up at the District Office on Yosemite Avenue beginning Dec. 19 and will be also be available through the District website at www.escalonusd.org

The district plans to honor between one and five inductees each year.

Nominations are accepted in the following categories:

(a) Alumni of Escalon Unified Schools. Such individuals shall not be recognized until five years after graduation.

(b) A member of the community.

(c) A district employee or Board Member. Such individuals shall not be recognized until five years after they leave/retire from District service.

(d) A parent of a student who has attended Escalon schools. Parents shall not be eligible until their children have been out of school for five years.

The Board of Trustees also reserves the right to waive any criteria if special circumstances warrant that action.

Nominations can be made from the community at large, as well as from school district employees, former students and retirees. The nominations must be submitted on a form provided by the District Office and include a rationale for the nomination.

The nomination packets must be turned in at the Escalon Unified School District to Emma Barba or via email to ebarba@escalonusd.org. After the nominations are submitted, the school board will appoint a selection committee to determine the inductees, with that recommendation then forwarded to the Board of Education for final approval.

The new inductees will be celebrated at the recognition ceremony next March.

Original inductees, in 1997, were Lloyd C. Engel, Jacob C. Klessens and James L. Prichard.

There was then a lengthy hiatus before the next induction, which occurred in 2006.

That year, inductees were Gerald (Jerry) L. Barton, Patricia Coslet, Audrey M. Gillispie, Ed Mulvihill and Seward Smith.

The last two years have seen a number of new inductees, with the 2024 honorees including Arthur Sanguinetti, Roger Beeman, David Mantooth, Robert Loureiro, and Michael Backovich.

The 2025 induction ceremony added Janet Karr Sutton, Jeanette Souza-Maduena, and Grant Thompson to the EUSD Hall of Fame.