Schools

Centennial School Board Favors History Over Commitment in Naming New Schools

Despite commissioning a committee to name the district's three regional elementary schools, the Centennial School Board voted Tuesday to retain the names of the former elementary schools that sat on each of the new school's respective sites.

The Centennial School Board to keep the names Davis, McDonald and Willow Dale for the three new regional elementary schools at its board meeting Tuesday evening.

Board Member Kati Driban's motion to  name the region 1 school the William W.H. Davis Elementary School, the region 2 school the Everett A. McDonald Jr. Elementary School and the region 3 school the Willow Dale Elementary School was met with a second by Board Member Betty Huf. 

Following the motion, and a few minutes of discussion, all nine board members voted to adopt the former names for the district's two, soon-to-be-constructed and one fully-renovated elementary schools. 

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Driban thanked the  She assured them that the were taken into consideration by the board. 

She said despite the committee's efforts there were only two suggestions that came forward with the minimum 125 signatures from the community and therefore satisfied the district's policy for naming rights: having the names remain the same, or naming the schools Perseverance, Gemini and York.  

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“I personally loved the suggestions,” said Driban.  “But I’m looking at the people who wanted the history to remain in these schools.” She said nearly 300 signatures plus scores of private emails and phone calls came forward in support of keeping the old names for the future buildings.

Board Member Jane Schrader-Lynch said for a long time rejected the idea that the only history the district has is its schools; however, she said she has come to realize the names of former schools must be preserved. 

Lynch said many people in the community, including herself, bought homes in walking distance to particular schools.

She said with the transformations the district has undertaken through the years, several of these names have become only memories.

In an impassioned speech, Lynch specifically named Leary, Longstreth, Hart, Shelmire, Lacey Park and Warminster Elementary as names she thought should live on somewhere in the district.

“These are some of the names that have to be persevered,” said Lynch.  “Some of the names that people have grown up with and bought their homes around. They have to be preserved.” 

“If you don’t do it, you are failing everybody,” she said.

Board President Andrew Pollock said he is tasking the administration to develop a list of potential sites for naming opportunities within the district to be presented to the board for review.

The three, new regional schools are the culmination of the districts plan to consolidate its former six elementary schools into just three physical plants.

Construction on the new buildings is expected to be complete in 2013.


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