A new policy for naming schools and other facilities in the Gainesville City School System has been on the table since April, but specifics of the policy are still unresolved, even as construction on the city's newest elementary school progresses.
Superintendent Dr. Wanda Creel presented a draft of the naming policy (FDC) and the regulations for implementing the policy (FDC-R) to the board at its most recent meeting on September 19.
"School facilities will be named for geographic locations, streets and/or landmarks," Creel read.
Creel pointed out that the final decision for naming facilities rests with the school board, but she noted that in the regulations was a request to solicit input from community members and other stakeholders who might have interest in a specific school. She said forming a committee to assess input would be a way to include the community in the process.
"For example, if we were to get your approval tonight for the process of naming the new elementary school - which is in the Mundy Mill location - one of the things that we would like to ask is could we make aware to our community that we would be seeking input on what the possible name might be for that school using the guidelines of either it being a geographic location, a street and/or a landmark and gather input for what that name might be," said Creel.
Then, said Creel, the committee could assess the input from the community and make three recommendation to the Board for a final decision.
But when School Board Chair Dr. Delores Diaz called for a motion to vote on the naming policy, Board Member Sammy Smith made a motion to remand the policy to staff.
"The proposed motion does not cover our current campuses," Smith said. "There is breadth to be added to the very broad categories which I have suggested to be added that would cause a re-write, so I will just make a motion to remand to staff."
Smith then read to Creel his suggested re-write, which included the addition of historical events to the criteria for naming schools. He pointed to Centennial Arts Academy as a school that would fall outside the proposed naming policy.
Creel asked for Smith's help in forming a final version that might be acceptable, and ultimately he agreed.
That board voted to table the matter until its October 3 work session.
