A Handy Parent Solves Gnarly Skateboard Problem at A.P. Giannini Middle School

Skateboards are a popular way to get to A.P. Giannini Middle School on Ortega Street in the Sunset. But students aren’t allowed to roll down the school’s hallways. All skateboards must be stowed for the day in the counseling office before the 9:30 a.m. bell.

This created a problem. School secretary Stacey Dawson would find a pile of skateboards blocking her desk every morning. She sought a solution but couldn’t find any affordable racks big enough for the boards that needed a parking place.

She mentioned the challenge to a parent, Mark Forsythe, who had to step around the pile when he visited the office. “Let me think about it,” Mark told her.

A few days later, Mark walked into the counseling office lugging an eight-foot rack he’d built in his workshop. He mounted it on the office wall. 

Mark is a general contractor, whose firm Forsythe General Contractors, is typically associated with high-end residential properties. This was a project on a different scale, one that offered him an opportunity to make a contribution to the school. 

His payment for the rack? Stacey sent him a photo of smiling Giannini skateboarders giving an enthusiastic thumbs up.

“My only regret is that we didn’t bring the students into the shop to show them how it was done,” Mark says. “I want them to see that they can make things, not just buy things on Amazon.” 

For Stacey, it’s a happy ending for everyone.

“The kids love the rack; they’re proud of it,” she says. “They feel respected and their sport acknowledged.”

Reported and written by volunteer community journalist Jan Cook. We encourage retired journalists and student journalists in high school and college to volunteer as writers for Supervisor Engardio’s newsletter. Interested? Apply here. Do you know a story you would like to see featured in the newsletter? Tell us about it here.