LATHROP – It won’t be long before Lathrop High students are taking Spartan Way to get to school.

Last week the Lathrop City Council approved an agenda item that will rename the stretch of Lathrop Road that runs from Golden Valley Parkway all the way to the dead-end just west of the school’s parking lot.

Once development commences in that area, Spartan Way will continue on until it intersects with Barbara Terry Boulevard.

But there was a twist when it came to the agreement that the Lathrop High School Leadership class made with members of the council. It won’t be the city that absorbs all of the costs of changing the signage along the thoroughfare that will be a major thruway once it’s fully completed.

The class – which raises money though various events like dances and associated student body fundraisers – is going to cover half of the cost.

In the eyes of Senior Class President Amy Thomas, it was a fair agreement. She believes it will give the students a little more pride knowing that they not only made that happen but financially contributed to the project.

“I think that it really shows us that we care about our community and we want to be able to take pride in what ends up going out there,” Thomas said. “It really means a lot to us. We really appreciate the council has supported us in this because it shows us that we can do things in the community as well.”

The last time the matter came before the council, former Lathrop High Principal David Chamberlain voiced not only his support for the measure but backhandedly challenged the council to make sure that the voice of the students was heard.

With Chamberlain no longer at the helm, temporary principal – former Escalon Superintendent Bob Wallace – was in attendance with the students.

Striking the agreement with the students showed a clear step towards resolving friction that existed between the City of Lathrop and the Manteca Unified School District that began when a letter from former Mayor Kristy Sayles guaranteeing sewer capacity for the new high school didn’t hold up. The district was forced to truck sewage out until a contractor completed the lift station. Work had stopped because the developer in the area had quit making payments.