Ad hoc committees recommend Green Meadow Elementary and Alba High School; board to vote at evening meeting
Summary
Ad hoc naming committees recommended Green Meadow Elementary (1,260 of ~2,300 votes) and Alba High School for two new Lee County schools. Chairs cited strong community participation and local heritage as the rationale; both names were placed on the board’s evening action agenda.
Ad hoc school-naming committees presented recommendations to the Lee County School Board at its Dec. 1 workshop, telling trustees the community process produced a strong response and clear top vote-getters.
Millie Sowers, elementary naming committee chair, said the elementary naming process drew about 2,300 votes and that Green Meadow Elementary received roughly 1,260 (about 58%) of responses. “Overwhelmingly, Green Meadow Elementary was the number one choice,” Sowers said, adding the committee discussed alternatives but deferred to the community preference and noted the name reflects the leafy character of the site.
For the new high school, Samantha Hutchinson and the ad hoc committee recommended Alba High School. The presenters said the recommended name already holds local recognition and ties to the community; committee members said Alva/Alba heritage and support from local organizations informed the recommendation. “By selecting a name that residents immediately identify with, the school strengthens its connection to the community it serves,” a committee representative said.
Staff told the board both recommendations are on the action agenda for the evening meeting, and trustees asked clarifying questions about community input, location, and next steps for mascots and school colors (handled later by principals and communications staff).
The workshop did not include a formal vote; the board will consider approval at its action meeting later the same day.
