Board discusses 'Novus/Novus Center' option for naming renovated sixth-grade house; members favor wider input before deciding

The board’s ad hoc naming committee presented options April 24 for naming several renovated facilities, including the former sixth-grade house that will house multiple programs. The committee suggested a single facility name—Novus Center (sometimes discussed as “Nova/Novus” in meeting remarks)—with program-specific suite names for the Japanese School of Detroit, Novi for All Learning Center, the Adult Transition Center and the Robotics Center.

Committee chair and board members discussed tradeoffs of different approaches: naming a building after people is not allowed by district policy, program-based names can become mismatched if programs change, and mnemonic or Latin-derived names (the committee noted novus/nova roots meaning “new”) could link to the district’s theme but may require public explanation.

Trustees expressed mixed reactions. Some members supported Novus as an innovative, community-oriented name (one trustee noted the word’s root meaning and the idea of shifting “I” to “us” in Novi). Others asked for broader community input; one trustee suggested a short public survey and the possibility of presenting a shortlist of committee-selected names at an upcoming town hall on May 27. Several board members noted timing constraints—construction and signage decisions may need a name soon—while others recommended that staff return with a community outreach plan before a final vote.

Superintendent Ben Micah said staff could circulate a brief survey or present a few vetted options at the next town hall. The board did not take a vote and asked administrators to collect stakeholder feedback and report back.