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Board discusses possible revision to policy requiring 18-month wait to rename schools
Summary
Board members and the board attorney discussed Policy 7,250 (commemoration and naming of school facilities), which currently requires an 18-month community process before renaming an existing school; staff recommended reviewing the policy for flexibility when a school’s location or circumstances change.
The Highlands County School Board discussed a potential revision to Policy 7,250, which governs commemoration and the naming of school facilities, after the superintendent said a building move may make an existing name inappropriate.
Board Attorney Nash summarized the policy’s key language: "the name of a new or existing school once adopted by the board shall be considered permanent. However, should the board subsequently initiate or be called upon to consider a name change of an existing previously named school, then in that event, the board shall allow a period of time not less than 18 months from said date for community involvement, deliberation, discussion, and debate prior to taking applicable" actions. Nash said she could not find statutory authority requiring the 18-month waiting period and that the language appears to have been adopted around 2018.
Superintendent Doctor Longshore told the board the district will need to look at renaming one entity as programs and campus locations (including Highlands Virtual School and an academy referenced as being on Youth Care Lane) transition. He asked that staff work with Nash and bring recommendations to a future policy workshop so the board could consider changes that would allow more flexibility when a school’s circumstances change.
Board members asked whether the 18-month period could be shortened to allow the board to adjust names when a school is no longer located on the street or site referenced in its name. Nash said the policy, as written, sets the 18-month minimum and that changing it would require a policy change. The board did not take formal action at the meeting; staff were asked to prepare recommended revisions and workshop materials.
