McFarland citizens committee recommends renaming of Conrad LVM Primary School and a museum‑quality exhibit

A citizens advisory committee recommended that the McFarland School District Board change the name of Conrad LVM Primary School and create a museum‑quality display acknowledging both his scientific achievements and his documented role in a 1931 Nakoma neighborhood racial covenant.

The recommendation was delivered March 17 by members of the Citizens Advisory Facilities Naming Committee after six substantive committee meetings and research by local historians. The committee asked the board to form a community process to select a new name, and requested that funds be raised concurrently to pay for renaming costs and for a prominent exhibit presenting a full picture of Conrad LVM’s life and legacy.

The committee said it focused on factual evidence. "More than anything else, this cohort has committed to relying on factual information," said Yana McCray, a parent and committee member. The committee presented documentary research from local historians including Ron Larson and Gail Martinson and academic context from Dr. Christie Clark‑Pujara of UW–Madison.

Why it matters: the committee told the board the name of a school should reflect the district’s present commitments to belonging and inclusivity. The group cited a notarized petition recorded July 3, 1931, in which 106 neighborhood signatories endorsed adding a racial covenant to the Nakoma neighborhood covenants; Conrad LVM is listed among those signatories. Committee members said historians found no direct evidence explaining why he signed the petition, and that other incidents later in his career—decisions made while serving as an administrator at UW–Madison—produce mixed interpretations. "The name of a primary school should be one that unites and inspires," committee member Matt Behel read as part of the recommendation.

Committee process and context: the group included 13 originally appointed members (one later resigned), comprising two staff members, two students and nine community members; eight of the community members were parents or guardians of McFarland students. The committee defined consensus as 60 percent agreement; members said the renaming recommendation exceeded that threshold but was not unanimous. Committee members attended presentations, reviewed primary archival material, and hosted or received briefings from four historians and an optional public program on racial covenants in Dane County.

What the committee recommended: (1) change the current school name; (2) form a new, transparent community committee to solicit and recommend replacement names; and (3) create a museum‑quality, prominent exhibit in the school that acknowledges Conrad LVM’s scientific contributions and documents the 1931 covenant and other historical context. The committee explicitly framed the exhibit as a way to present the man "not as a perfect figure, but as a man who demonstrated the value of continuous improvement," and said the district should raise funds concurrently to cover renaming and display costs so the exhibit is not delayed.

Public comment and board response: former McFarland School Board president Arlan Halverson spoke during public comment and urged caution: "I would rather see it have both names on it than to take one off," he said. Board members asked the presenters for clarifying details about the covenant's date, the number and makeup of signatories, and the extent of documentary evidence about Conrad LVM’s intent; historians cited the limited documentary record after 1931 and noted he died in 1962, limiting opportunities for later public statements or exit interviews.

Next steps: the board did not act on the committee recommendation at the March 17 meeting. The board scheduled a formal vote for its April 7 meeting and the committee packet (with source documents, historian notes, and the committee's report) will be posted publicly. The committee encouraged public comment at the April 7 meeting or by email prior to that vote.

The committee’s materials and links to the archival footage and documents reviewed will be made available by district staff for community review prior to the April 7 vote.