SCHOOL NAMES AND
DEDICATIONS: SELECTION AND CHANGE
Selecting a Name for a New Facility
A facility-naming committee will review suggested
names using the following guidelines:
High schools will be named after geographic
locations. Middle schools will be named after late
Recognizing that the ethnic and cultural
composition of a local school community will change and that school/facility
names are permanent, the name selected should have broad acceptance in a
multi-cultural society and have a unique association with that school
community.
In naming or dedicating a school/facility
after a person, primary consideration should be given to individuals who have
made a significant contribution to education in the community, the state or the
nation. In addition to societal
contributions, the moral character of the individual must be considered.
Recommendations for names of elementary
schools and other facilities may be selected from any appropriate category.
The principal will submit no more than four
recommendations to the appropriate associate superintendent. Names will be
referred to the Board for action.
Requests to Change the Name of a
Facility
The Superintendent will submit to the Board a
request for a facility name change after receiving the required number of
petition signatures requesting such a change. Any request for a school name
change must include signatures representing boundaries.
In addition, the Board may consider a name
change if the majority of its members agree that there is a compelling reason
to do so.
The new name and justification for the request
must be submitted through the principal of the school to the appropriate
assistant superintendent, who will submit it to the Superintendent for review.
The Superintendent will make recommendations to the Board for action.
To Name or Dedicate a Portion of a
School or Facility (Not Previously Named)
A school may name or dedicate a library,
special facility, or other portion of a school with the consent of the Board of
Education. The naming or dedication may honor a person, living or deceased,
whose valued contributions to the school have been substantial and sustained
over time.
A proposal to name or dedicate a facility may
be introduced by a member of the staff, a parent, or a member of the school
community. The proposal may be brought to the designated governance body of the
school or of the school's parent organization. By majority vote of either
governing body, a petition may be drawn up to determine school community
support for the proposal. The petition must include the following:
A single petition or identical copies of the
petition may be circulated for a period not to exceed 90 days and may be signed
by any faculty or staff member whose name was included in the list of total
faculty/staff and any parent whose name was included in the membership list
from which the count of members was made.
At the end of 90 days,
or sooner if all faculty/staff and parent members have been given an
opportunity to sign, the governing body of the parent organization will certify
the eligible signatures of parents on the petition. The governing body of the
school will certify the eligible faculty/staff signatures on the petition. If
fewer than 60% of each organization signed the petition, any remaining days
prior to the 90 day expiration date of the petition may be used to gain
additional signatures. At the end of 90 days, the petition will be declared
null and void if fewer than 60% of each group has
signed. If at least 60% of each group has signed, the petition, along with
letters of certification from the parent group and the school governing body
will be forwarded to the principal
The principal, upon receipt of a petition
with the required number of certified signatures, will present the petition to
the Superintendent in order that the item may be scheduled on the agenda of the
Board. If the petition is approved by the Board, dedication ceremonies will be
planned by the school at a time not in conflict with official Board
responsibilities.
Renaming a Portion of a School or
Facility
The procedures for renaming a portion of a
school or facility will be as above except as follows:
If the portion of a school or facility
proposed for renaming has been previously named through action by the Board, or
if the facility has been named and dedicated by school action to honor a person
(living or deceased), permission of the Board is necessary prior to circulation
of signatures proposing to replace that name with a new name. In seeking the
Board's permission, sufficient rationale will be presented to justify
overturning the previous action.
After receiving the Board's permission to
propose the renaming of the facility, petitions will be proposed and drawn up
as outlined above; however, the petitions must clearly state that the newly
proposed name will replace the current name.
Cross Ref.: Board
Policy F.02
NSBA/NEPN Classification: FF
Revised: May
1995
Revised: April
1996
Revised: May
1997
Revised: August
2005