Ad hoc committee recommends 'Skyline' as name for new OKCPS middle school

An OKCPS ad hoc committee recommended naming the new middle school “Skyline,” the district announced Tuesday. The board received the recommendation as an information item and will consider the name as an action item at a future meeting.

Dr. Malou Smith, director of research and evaluation, told trustees the committee followed board policy DO8 and included 14 members: legal, communications, capital improvements, a local board representative (Board Member Meg McElhaney), two principals, two teachers, two support staff, two parents and two students. The communications department opened a public call for name suggestions and required submitters to include rationales; nominations for people required three supporting letters.

Committee materials showed 172 submissions. The group used quiet individual review followed by small-group discussion to reduce the list to 11, then to six and then to three. After further ranking and discussion, the committee held a final vote between two names; “Skyline” received the most votes. The committee said it considered potential confusion with nearby organizations and found no other K–12 schools in the state using 'Skyline.'

Dr. Smith said the committee chose the name in part because of a visible downtown skyline view from the school site near Northeast 25th and High (site description presented to the board). The board’s final approval is required for the name to take effect.