Marla’s Mall stays at Baker High, public visits by appointment

Marla’s Mall is staying just west of Baker High School, but people in Baker County who do not have a direct school connection will now need an appointment to visit. The change tightens public access while keeping the student-run thrift shop available for Baker students and families who rely on it for free clothing, school supplies and other basic items.

That shift matters because Marla’s Mall is not just a place to pick through donated clothes. It is a school-based support service built to meet needs quietly, without forcing families to shop elsewhere or explain why they need help. In a district where 30% of students are experiencing poverty, a free resource inside Baker High can make a real difference in what children wear to class and what they bring home for the school day.

Marla’s Mall is named for Marla Cavallo, a Baker High School teacher who died of cancer in 2007 at age 45. Cavallo’s classroom first held clothing for students in need, and the effort grew from there into a full thrift store. That history helps explain why the program is tied so closely to the school itself and why keeping it open on campus remains important even as access rules change.

The appointment limit for the general public suggests the school is trying to balance two competing needs: keeping the campus secure and keeping the program usable for the wider community. For students, the store can fill gaps that are easy to miss from the outside, from everyday clothing to school supplies and other basics that can stretch a family budget. For the school, it also keeps more traffic organized around a student-centered operation rather than a conventional retail space.

Marla’s Mall is one part of a larger student-workforce setup at Baker High. Melody Webb coordinates Marla’s Mall, Bulldog Bubbles and Bulldog Blender, and students working there gain experience greeting customers, answering phones and taking messages. In November 2023, Baker High students also ran a class competition to collect donated clothing, blankets and food for Marla’s Mall and the food bank, showing how much the program depends on steady student and community participation.

The store has long served as a practical back-to-school stop. A February 2020 Baker City Herald story said a back-to-school night was scheduled there before classes began that fall so students could upgrade their wardrobes and supplies for a new year. Baker School District 5J’s 2024-25 Oregon Online Report Card lists 5,651 students, and Oregon Department of Education guidance says districts must identify a liaison for students experiencing houselessness and provide supports including immediate enrollment, free school meals and transportation to the school of origin. Against that backdrop, Marla’s Mall remains a small but important part of the safety net at Baker High.