Arlene Hein, long time Administrative Assistant to Elk Grove's superintendents, is a Point Pleasant resident whose family is part of the history of the Franklin area. Members of the Hein family have been active in the community affairs of Franklin and Point Pleasant for more than a hundred years. Johannes Schmidt, Arlene's great-grandfather, came to the U. S. in the 1880s from his native Germany. He settled in Point Pleasant, the farming community south of Franklin. During his lifetime, he built many of the barns and houses in the Point Pleasant and Franklin area. Mr. Schmidt was also the lay minister of the Point Pleasant Church. He taught many young people to play musical instruments, and they even had a band that played for community events. In 1908, Mr. Schmidt drew the plans for and constructed the Point Pleasant School.

Arlene's paternal grandparents were John and Abeline Hein who came from Germany in 1888. John Hein purchased 200 acres of farmland at the corner of Franklin Boulevard and Point Pleasant Road. Arlene's maternal grandparents were George and Lydia Schmidt, also of Point Pleasant. Both of Arlene's grandfathers served as trustees of the Point Pleasant School. George Schmidt also served as trustee of the Franklin Elementary School as did Arlene's father, Herman Hein. Arlene's parents were Herman and Mildred Anne Schmidt Hein. Their two children were Arlene and her sister, Eleanor. Mrs. Hein died when Arlene was nine years old. Her father later remarried, and her brother Ralph was born from that marriage.

Arlene Hein attended Franklin School, which was quite a school in that country setting, as there were four classrooms at that time. After Arlene graduated from Franklin, she attended Elk Grove Union High School were she was an excellent student. She earned a life membership in the California Scholarship Federation and ranked third in her graduating class. She was a student body officer, and earned a block letter in girls' athletics. She was also active in the 4H Club.

Arlene had hoped to go to college after completing high school, but it became impossible for her to even consider it. Her stepmother was dying, and she was needed at home. Any thoughts she had of college quickly disappeared. A few weeks prior to graduation from high school, Glen Beeman, the principal of Elk Grove High School, summoned her to his office. He offered her a secretarial position at the school. She had done some work in the school office when she was a senior, and her supervisors recognized her potential. She accepted the position and reported to work on June 16, 1952. She was 17 years old at the time.

Arlene's job responsibilities included secretarial duties and the responsibility of the student body and cafeteria accounts. When the school auditor learned that the books were being kept by a teenager, he had had some serious concerns as to the reliability of the work. Upon close examination, however, he found the books to have been kept in perfect order, and Miss Hein was commended for her good work.

In 1959, sixteen area elementary districts in Elk Grove, Florin and south Sacramento County joined with Elk Grove High School to become the Elk Grove Unified School District. Arlene Hein was hired to be the secretary to the new superintendent, George Kibby. She was also appointed as secretary to the new Board of Education. Arlene has served continuously in that capacity for the past 39 years and is now the Administrative Assistant to Superintendent Dave Gordon. He is the fourth superintendent since the District unified in 1959.

In the first years of Elk Grove Unified, Arlene handled all matters related to certificated personnel. She also covered the work for the District's building program and helped develop policies and curriculum. During the mid 1960s when there was no business administrator, Arlene served as the office manager, handling budget development and office operations. She guided adult education and preschools through their beginning years, and she developed the first unified curriculum manual.

Arlene Hein created the foundation of the clerical support of Elk Grove Unified School District as it grew over the years. She continued her responsibilities under five superintendents: George Kibby, Glenn Houde, Robert Trigg, David W. Gordon, and now Steven Ladd. She has served under more than 20 Board of Education presidents and has attended almost all the meetings of the Board since 1959, at least two a month. Over the past 39 years, Arlene Hein has only missed two meetings of the Board.

Arlene Hein received the Mason Lodge award for Administrative Employee of the Year in 1978 and was recognized as the Confidential Employee of the Year by the Elk Grove Confidential and Administrative Association in 1994-95.

Today, Arlene Hein lives on the property where her father had his dairy. Always busy, she keeps house, gardens, sews, reads, and plays with her nieces. She still performs her many duties as secretary to the Superintendent, and never misses a meeting of the Board of Education!

Source: Elk Grove Citizen article, November 21, 1997; and interview with Arlene Hein by Elizabeth Pinkerton; edited by Elizabeth Pinkerton for the School Names Committee, Elk Grove Unified School District, July 1998.