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Glen Rock board weighs renaming Central Elementary for Tuskegee Airman Thomas L. Hawkins after mixed feedback
Summary
A board committee reported majority support across survey respondents to rename Central Elementary for Thomas L. Hawkins, but many current Central parents and staff oppose the change; board members discussed alternatives and asked for further coordination with the borough and community.
The Glen Rock Board of Education reviewed a committee report on a petition to rename Central Elementary School for Thomas L. Hawkins, a Glen Rock alumnus and World War II Tuskegee Airman, after a public survey and in‑person outreach.
The committee collected 417 survey responses; it reported that respondents overall supported renaming, but it found a clear difference in the Central‑school community: among respondents who identified as current Central parents or staff (102 responses), a majority were opposed. Committee liaison Mr. Corey said the committee did not reach a single recommendation because community views were split: "I did see clear interest but I didn't see a clear direction," he told the board.
Board members discussed practical and symbolic considerations: potential costs (the committee estimated renaming expenses and a community member volunteered fundraising help), administrative burdens (changing state filings, letterhead and addresses), and whether alternative honors—naming a wing, auditorium, library, or placing an outdoor plaque or town street designation—would better balance local views and recognition. One board member noted a private donor had volunteered to seed fundraising but the committee had not received a committed full donation.
Supporters addressed the board in public comment, highlighting Hawkins's local roots and military service and urging a public, symbolic recognition, not a private plaque. One commenter noted the rarity of elementary schools in Bergen County named after minority figures and argued the renaming would be a notable public statement. Opponents, many tied to Central School, said they preferred other ways to honor a community hero and expressed concern about changing a long‑standing school name without stronger support from current school families.
The board asked administration to coordinate with the borough about external naming options and to return with additional cost and procedural information. No final decision was made; the board signaled intent to continue community engagement before taking a vote.
