GAINESVILLE -- As work continues to get a new middle and high school ready for operation by next school year, the Hall County Board of Education is narrowing down choices for a name for the school combo.
Last month, the school board sent a survey to community stakeholders asking them to pick their preferred name for the schools from a list of nine options. Out of those nine, Superintendent Will Schofield said there were pretty clear favorites.
"We really only got responses on two names, and that was either 'Spout Springs' or 'Cherokee Bluffs'," Schofield told the board at their Monday meeting.
Schofield said although the name Spout Springs garnered more responses, several officials involved with starting the new school have preferred 'Cherokee Bluffs'.
"For a few reasons, number one: this is supposed to be a new school with a new identity," Schofield said. "And we're saying we're going to have three schools in the Hall County School District that are 'Spout Springs', Spout Springs Elementary, Spout Springs Middle and Spout Springs High".
The name 'Cherokee Bluffs' would be derived from a nearby park in the southern edge of Hall County with the same name. School system officials said they had heard some people argue that the park is not located in what will become the new school district, but rather will remain in the district for Flowery Branch High School. School Board Vice Chairman Craig Herrington said that was not a deterrent.
"The park represents the area, and the entire area would be known as Cherokee Bluffs not just the park itself," Herrington said.
The school board is tentatively scheduled to make a final decision on the new name at the board's August 28 meeting.
