The names of schools and school facilities are necessary locational and place identifiers. The names of schools and school facilities also serve as a means of honoring and recognizing the exceptional service and contributions of individuals to schools, communities, and public education. Names should serve in ways that bear positive association for schools and communities.

The purpose of this policy is to provide consistency and uniformity in the naming of public schools and public school facilities. The name of a public school or public school facility should be an appropriate representation and reflection of the school or school-community.

A. Naming of Schools

The name of a school shall be recommended by the Superintendent of Education. The recommendation, with its supporting reasons, shall be submitted to the Board of Education for approval.
The name of a school shall be a unique identifier to promote and represent a school’s location or identity.

A school named after a personage shall use the personage’s formal title and full name as the official name of the school. Schools shall encourage the use of official names among their students and their communities.

B. Naming of School Facilities

Except for the naming of school facilities after benefactors, the name of a school facility shall be recommended by the school community council of each school. The recommendation, with its supporting reasons, shall be submitted to the complex area superintendent of the respective school for approval. The Board and Superintendent of Education shall be informed of the approved name.
The name of a school facility shall be a unique identifier to honor and acknowledge the exceptional service and significant contributions of a personage to the school, school-community, or public education, or to identify the facility in other ways that bear positive association for the school, school-community, or public education.

School facilities may be named to honor major benefactors whose significant contributions benefit the school, school-community, or public education; provided that naming of a school facility after a benefactor or benefactors shall be: (1) Recommended by the Superintendent of Education and submitted to the Board for approval; and (2) Consistent with the criteria and contribution guidelines specified in the regulations of the Department.

The Board may revoke the name of a school or school facility, if necessary.

The Department of Education shall adopt regulations to implement this policy. The regulations shall include criteria and contribution guidelines for the naming of school facilities after benefactors who have made significant contributions to benefit a school, school-community, or public education.

Approved: 01/71; Amended: 01/01/79; 11/17/05, 12/07