School Founders

Ruth Pease | Debra Pease Wehbe | Ferris Wehbe

Ruth Pease - 1908 - 2005

	The Hollywood Schoolhouse (formerly the Hollywood Little Red School House, and originally the Small Fry Nursery School) was established in 1945 by Ruth Pease on Highland Avenue in the heart of Hollywood. The school's creation was a response to the county's request for help in meeting child care needs of the post-war community.
Ms. Ruth's 95th Birthday Celebration	For more than 23 years, it served the area by providing pre-school activities for 20 children.

However, by the 1960s, the need for child care was growing. To meet that need, the school expanded, and in 1968 the current preschool building was constructed with enrollment more than doubling to 50 children.

As years passed, the school prospered. Still, the ever-burgeoning demand for quality child care and an enhanced educational program beyond the early formative years enlarged.

To serve that demand, the Elementary Division was established in 1984. The campus expansion included our first elementary building, with classrooms, a computer lab and library. Two years later, a 35-foot swimming pool was installed, and in 1987, the new kindergarten building as well as an art and science workshop were unveiled. In the 1990s, a new building was added, with classroom space, a multi-purpose room, a computer laboratory (with full Internet access and multimedia capabilities), and a fully equipped kitchen facility.

Today the Hollywood Schoolhouse extends from Highland Avenue east to McCadden Place, serving the families of over 200 preschool through eighth-grade students.

Debra Pease Wehbe served as director of the school since 1970. In 1984, she established our elementary program and in 1995, developed our Middle School. As Principal of the school, she provided the structure for our growth as well as guiding the school through WASC Accreditation.She earned her bachelor's degree and California Teaching Credential at the University of Southern California, which qualified her to teach pre-school through 12th grade. Her status as an honors graduate led to her nomination and acceptance into the National Honorary Association for Women in Education. She also undertook master's work in Early Childhood Education at USC.

As an elementary teacher in Los Angeles Unified Schools, she worked in different areas within the district. Her experiences include working with students from a cross-section of cultural and economic levels. In the academics, she provided challenging experiences for remedial, on level, and gifted learners. She also taught in the private sector as a preschool teacher, and worked with welfare families and their children in a Title-5 funded program.

Ms. Wehbe also served outside the classroom as a member of the Mayor's Advisory Committee on Child Care Programs and the County of Los Angeles Preschool Safety Task Force, a member of the Los Angeles City College Development Advisory Committee and the Board of Directors of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

Among her many honors:

1980 - State President of the Professional Association of Childhood Education
1985 - Private Education Member of the Advisory Committee on Child Care programs.
1989 - Member of the Board of Directors of the National Independent Private School Association and served on the Accreditation Committee.
1990 - Commission on the Status of Women Nomination for Pioneer Woman of the Year (an award given in honor of Women's History Month for outstanding contributions to the strength and vitality of the Los Angeles community)
1991 - Susan B. Anthony Education Award from the Business and Professional Women's Club
1992 - Housing and Social Needs Committee Chair of the Hollywood Redevelopment Agency focusing on children's programs and affordable housing for families in the Hollywood area. Helped to establish funds for the refurbishment of De Longpre Park and the establishment of a social service agencies network.
1994 - Helped to found the Hollywood Beautification Team
1995 - Along with her mother, Ruth Pease, presented with the Hollywood Coordinating Council Third Century Business Award for "The Hollywood Little Red School House For Many Years of Quality Education For The Youth Of Our Community".
1999 - Woman of Distinction Award from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

Ferris Wehbe began his connection with the Hollywood Schoolhouse in 1983 on a part-time basis. He was no stranger to the challenge of hard work or the business world. In 1975, Ferris emigrated to the United States from Lebanon. Upon arriving in Los Angeles, he concentrated his energy on his studies in business administration and real estate. This was an accomplishment in itself as Mr. Wehbe did not speak English upon his arrival. But the rigorous academic training he had received in the College des Frères served him well. His native language, Arabic, coupled with the mandatory French required through out his schooling, gave him the tools needed to soon learn English and eventually Spanish as well.

His professional experiences incorporate both that of employee and entrepreneur. Rising from his beginnings in sales to the manager of several Good Year Tire stores, Mr. Wehbe has experienced all aspects of being an employee. He has also had multiple ventures as an entrepreneur. These include restaurateur, founder and manager of a construction company, owner/manager of several service stations, Real Estate Agent, and the founder and CEO of a property management company.

The contribution of his vast understanding of the business world was just what the Hollywood Schoolhouse needed. He led the school's physical expansion from a single building for 45 students to the multifaceted campus that now serves over 220 students.

Ferris' full-time commitment to the school began in 1984 with the first phase of expansion into elementary grades. Overseeing the construction and safe-guarding the financial viability of the school was crucial. Along with his contributions to the school, he forged a commitment to the surrounding community. His actions included supporting a neighborhood watch group, advocating for the investment of other businesses in the community, starting a Boy Scout Troop and serving as its leader in conjunction with raising his own children, two of whom graduated from the Schoolhouse.

He has represented the school and the Hollywood community both nationally and locally. On the national level, while serving on the board of directors of the National Independent Private School Association, Mr. Wehbe met with representatives in Washington, D.C. He advocated for children's programs and school reform.

His community involvement expanded as he was asked to serve on the Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency's Advisory Committee. He served as the Vice-Chair and later assumed the position of Chair.

Mr. Wehbe has served as the President of the Hollywood Police Support Association, an organization designed to support the positive interaction between the police officers, the residential community and the business community of the Hollywood Division area. As such, he was responsible for the on-going fund raising for the support of youth programs in the area as well as their implementation.