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Board member says renaming of WY to 'Urbana Sixth Grade Center' proceeded without required board vote
Summary
Member Hixon told the board she believes the superintendent secured state approval to rename WY building as the 'Urbana Sixth Grade Center' without following board policy 4.150 (which requires nominations and a special committee). The superintendent had replied by email saying no formal petitions were submitted and that internal branding had already used the new name; the board agreed to form a naming committee to resolve the dispute and respond to petition authors.
Member Hixon raised a formal objection to district action on the building long known as WY, saying the superintendent had, in her view, advanced a name change with the state that bypassed the board’s required process.
"There is no excuse for administration to be unaware of the policy," Member Hixon said, arguing that naming or renaming a facility must follow board policy 4.150, which requires a formal nominating letter with a minimum of 10 signatures and appointment of a committee to make recommendations to the board. She described the unilateral state listing of the school as the "Urbana Sixth Grade Center" as a potential "breach of the public trust" and said she intended to press the board to address the matter publicly.
The superintendent had replied to the board in a June email, stating no formal nomination letters or petitions had been submitted, that internal project materials and signage long referred to the space as the sixth grade center, and that rebranding costs would be significant. The superintendent also described the practical history of calling the renovated building the sixth grade center; that explanation was presented as the administrative justification for the current naming status.
Board members discussed the conflicting accounts. Several members said they had assumed the building would be used as a sixth grade center but did not expect the district to complete a renaming without following the board’s naming process. In response to the disagreement, the board agreed to initiate a naming committee process consistent with board policy 4.150 and to reach out to the two community members who had sent letters seeking name consideration so they could participate.
Why it matters: Board policy assigns the board the final decision on facility names and sets a transparent public process. The dispute centers on whether administrative practice (internal branding and developer/architect naming) effectively changed the public record without the board’s formal action, and whether the district adequately informed the public and solicited formal nominations before seeking state recognition of a new school name.
What happens next: The board directed the superintendent to impanel a naming committee and to contact the community members who submitted letters; the committee will study nominations and bring recommendations back to the board for a public vote. The board also signaled it will raise the question at upcoming meetings to document the record and ensure compliance with policy going forward.
