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Renaming committee for General Smallwood reports low participation; board to act in April
Summary
The renaming committee for General Smallwood Middle School met but failed to reach quorums at two recent virtual meetings; the board reiterated it will make the final naming decision at the April work session and encouraged public comment.
Charles County school staff updated the Board of Education on March 24 on the General Smallwood Middle School renaming process and said two recent committee meetings did not reach quorum and produced no new recommendations.
Shelly Mackie, committee liaison, told the board the renaming committee was formed in fall 2024 under Board Policy 7230 and originally had 19 members; three members resigned during the process and attendance at two virtual meetings (March 13 and March 20) was too low to constitute an official committee meeting. Mackie said the committee used Robert’s Rules by vote earlier in the process but that the group’s low attendance meant there were insufficient members to take binding action at the recent sessions.
Mackie and committee chair Jenica Irvin urged the public and committee members to continue participating and to use the public forum to share views. Mackie said members had done research, contacted museums and local organizations and presented recommendations earlier; she described the work as “a labor of love” for many participants.
Several public‑forum speakers urged particular names and greater recognition of local history. Jenica Irvin, committee chair and a parent, described broad community involvement and urged the board to consider the committee’s work. Evette Apache, an emissary of the Piscataway Indian Nation, asked the board to consider naming a school for Chief Turkey Tayac, a longtime Piscataway leader who helped preserve local indigenous history and was instrumental in creating Piscataway Park.
Board members said they appreciated the committee’s work and acknowledged some community frustration. Mister Hancock said members felt “the wind was taken out of their sails” when committee recommendations were not adopted earlier, and several board members thanked committee volunteers and encouraged continued engagement. The board reiterated it will take final action at its April work session and said the original three committee suggestions remain in the record and available on the district website’s renaming quick link.
No renaming vote occurred on March 24; staff said the board will consider and vote on a name at the April meeting and that committee recommendations and public comment will be part of the record.
