Loveland Area History: Who the Thompson Schools Are Named After

There are about 2,000 public schools across Colorado. In the Loveland/Berthoud area, the Thompson R2-J School District has14 schools that are named after someone.

Thompson School District in Northern Colorado Has 32 Public Schools

If this list were to have been compiled before 2023, it would have had 14 schools named after a person; in 2023, however, Mary Blair Elementary was closed and merged with Conrad Ball Middle School to become Peakview Academy at Conrad Ball.

Perhaps the list will need to be updated, in the future, to include more schools named after beloved community members.

READ MORE: Colorado's Oldest Operating School is Named After a Poem

Putting together this list came to me in the summer of 2026, when folks around Loveland were talking up how much fun the Winona Outdoor Pool can be during the summer. It occurred to me that a lot of families having fun at Winona Pool, don't know who "Winona" was (it wasn't like I did though,) so I thought: 'Why not get the info on all the Thompson schools?"

READ MORE: What Does the "R2-J" Mean for Thompson School District? 

Most of the schools in the Thompson School District don't need any explanations when it comes to the names: Lincoln Elementary, Thompson Valley High, Big Thomson Elementary, to name a few.

Those schools have great names that tie into America's history or Northern Colorado; that's great, for sure. A "Baker's Dozen," however, have names dedicated to a person that the community loved, which is also great.

A fun thing about the list, is that you get to go back in time: before the internet, before "6/7," before the Larimer County Fairgrounds moved from Downtown Loveland out to The Ranch. It's also interesting how one school isn't named after an educator, at all.