Albuquerque Public Schools
PF10 School Names and Dedications
updated
PF10 School Names and Dedications
General Provisions
All names and dedications of Albuquerque Public Schools facilities will be subject to the superintendent's approval. As a general rule, facilities, schools, and portions of facilities and schools will not be named after living individuals.
New Facility Names
Upon construction of a new facility, a facility-naming committee will be convened. That committee will include, but is not be limited to:
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District representatives
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The school principal of the proposed facility (if known)
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A staff member of the proposed facility (if known)
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Students of the proposed facility
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Community members of the proposed facility
The facility-naming committee will review suggested names using the following guidelines:
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Understanding that the ethnic and cultural makeup of a local school community may evolve over time, and considering that school and facility names are permanent, the chosen name should be widely accepted in a multicultural society and have a distinct connection to that particular school community.
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When naming or dedicating a school or facility after an individual, the primary consideration will be given to those who have made significant contributions to education at the community, state, or national level. Additionally, the individual's character will be taken into account alongside their societal contributions.
The district administrator or school principal will submit the recommendation to the appropriate deputy superintendent along with documentation proving that the facility-naming committee considered the above guidelines. The recommended name will then be referred to the superintendent for approval.
Requests to Change the Name of or Rename a Facility
Any request to change the name of a currently constructed facility will follow the same process as a request to name a portion of a school or facility which is outlined below.
Requests to Name or Dedicate a Portion of a School or Facility
A school may name or dedicate a library, special facility, or other portion of a school with the approval of the superintendent. As a general rule, portions of facilities will not be named after living individuals.
A proposal to name or dedicate a facility may be introduced by a member of the staff, a student, a parent, or a member of the school community. The proposal must include a fiscal impact report completed in cooperation with the APS Finance Department. The proposal will be brought to the school’s Instructional Council or the school's parent organization for approval. By majority vote of either body, a petition will be drawn up to determine school community support for the proposal.
The petition will include the following:
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Place or facility to be named or dedicated
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Proposed name
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Rationale for the proposal
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Total number of faculty/staff at the school
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Spaces for 60% or more faculty/staff to sign the petition
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Spaces for 60% or more members of the parent organization to sign the petition or 100 members of the school community, whichever is greater
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Date of authorization of petition
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Expiration date of petition (90 days after authorization date)
A single petition, or identical copies of it, may be circulated for a period not exceeding ninety (90) days. It can be signed by any faculty or staff member whose name is included on the total faculty/staff list, as well as any family whose name appears on the membership list from which the count of members was taken. Each family with a child enrolled in the school is entitled to one vote per family. Additionally, each certified and classified staff member is entitled to one vote per person.
At the end of ninety (90) days (or sooner if all faculty/staff and family members have been given an opportunity to sign), the parent organization will certify the eligible signatures of families on the petition, and the school’s Instructional Council will certify the eligible signatures of faculty/staff.
If fewer than sixty percent (60%) of each organization signed the petition, any remaining days prior to the ninety (90) day expiration date of the petition may be used to gain additional signatures. At the end of ninety (90) days, the petition will be declared null and void if fewer than sixty percent (60%) of each group has signed. If at least sixty percent (60%) of each group has signed, the petition, along with letters of certification from the parent organization and the Instructional Council will be forwarded to the principal.
Upon receipt of a petition with the required number of certified signatures, the principal will present the petition to the appropriate deputy superintendent for presentation and approval by the superintendent. Upon approval from the superintendent, the school will plan dedication ceremonies.
Renaming a Portion of a School or Facility
The procedures for renaming a portion of a school or facility will follow the same process as outlined above for naming a portion of a school or facility except as follows:
If a school or facility is proposed for renaming and it has previously been named by action from the Board of Education or has been named in honor of a person through school action, the superintendent's permission is required before gathering signatures to propose a new name. After receiving the superintendent’s permission to propose the renaming of the facility, petitions will be proposed and drawn up as outlined above; however, the petitions will clearly state that the newly proposed name will replace the current name.
Administrative Position:
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Deputy Superintendent of Operations
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Deputy Superintendent of Leadership and Learning
Department Director:
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Executive Director of Facilities Design and Construction
References:
Legal Cross Ref.:
NSBA/NEPN Classification: FF
Revised: May 1995
Revised: April 1996
Revised: May 1997
Revised: August 2005
Reviewed: August 14, 2012
Revised: August 17, 2012
Reviewed: April 14, 2025
Revised: April 14, 2025