Two separate Santa Barbara Unified School District campus facilities have officially been named after two longtime educators.

The district’s board of trustees last week approved renaming the Dos Pueblos High School Greek Theater and the La Colina Junior High central stage after Scott Guttentag and David L. Ortiz, respectively. 

Both educators were chosen for the impacts they had on their school campuses, according to Steve Venz, district chief operations officer.

The high school’s Greek Theater has borne the name “Scott Guttentag Greek Theater” since a surprise unveiling ceremony in May. The name will remain on the theater until June 2027.

Guttentag, known by the school community as “Scotty G” or “Mr. DP,” has worked at the school for 36 years — 33 as the activities director. 

The high school surprised him by announcing the theater’s renaming during a schoolwide assembly on his birthday with his friends and family present, Guttentag said.

“It was completely shocking and so beautifully done,” he said. 

The theater is a central venue for school activities like performances, rallies and assemblies that, in that space, defined Guttentag’s work, Venz told the board last week. 

“It’s one thing to be appreciated by the kids that I have a direct relationship with. It was another to have random students come up to me and hug me and congratulate me,” Guttentag said. “That is what made it even more special.”

The name will go back to the original after the one-year term, which is in line with school policy, Ed Zuchelli, Santa Barbara Unified School District communications manager, told Noozhawk. 

“Even if the letters aren’t up there, it will always be, to my family, the Scott Guttentag Greek Theater,” Guttentag said. 

Guttentag officially bid farewell to the high school campus on Friday, marking the beginning of his new chapter.

He told Noozhawk in June that he is looking for his next opportunity to serve students. 

At La Colina Junior High, the school’s central stage — framed by the campus’s palm trees — will now be known as the David L. Ortiz Palm Central Stage. The school also placed a memorial plaque and hosted a recognition ceremony announcing the change earlier this year.

Ortiz served as the school’s principal from 1997 to 2019, according to Venz.

Ortiz died earlier this year, and family, alumni and community members requested this dedication in his honor.

The plaque features an engraved photo of Ortiz accompanied by the message, “Dream it. Believe it. Achieve it.”  

“He connected with students at lunchtime, personally maintained the campus on weekends, and built the staff that carried La Colina forward,” a letter to the board said. 

He was “known for his hands-on and personal style as principal,” Venz said. “Palm Stage was one of his favorite places on campus.”

It was there that Ortiz celebrated eighth-grade graduation ceremonies, school events and even unveiled the school’s 1959 time capsule, Venz added. 

Both schools shared the renaming announcement at each campus before board approval, which is why Venz went before the board last week to get formal approval.