Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Naming topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board advances compromise name 'Three Oaks Memorial School' after petition and public debate
Summary
Following a community petition opposing removal of 'Memorial' from the elementary school name, the naming committee proposed the compromise 'Three Oaks Memorial School.' The board discussed legal limits on referendums, preservation of memorial elements, and agreed to the committee’s compromise and to document petition signatures in the record.
Regional School District 13 board members moved on a compromise proposal to preserve the district’s memorial commemoration while adopting a new name for the consolidated elementary building.
The naming committee — after receiving community feedback and a petition the speaker said had roughly 475 signatures — recommended inserting “Memorial” into the new name so the school would be called “Three Oaks Memorial School.” The committee chair reported two follow-up meetings and outreach to petition organizers and cited compromise language submitted by several residents.
At public comment, Lori Homodoc of Five Moheaggan Road told the board she had presented the petition and asked that it be added to the official record and that the board act on it rather than ignore it. Ian Malcolm, a district alumnus, urged the board to recognize veterans from both Durham and Middlefield and to preserve existing memorial elements, including the cornerstone.
Board members said legal counsel advised that a general referendum on a name would be complicated — a referendum is a yes/no question, and the district retains statutory authority to name its schools — and recommended pursuing the naming committee process. The board emphasized that memorial elements already in the building would be retained.
A motion was made on the floor to amend the proposed name to Three Oaks Memorial School; members voiced assent in a roll-call/voice sequence recorded in the transcript. The naming committee will continue work on related items including the mascot and placement of preserved artifacts and will document citizen submissions in the minutes.
Next steps: the board asked the naming committee to pursue follow-up community outreach, to present final language and artwork plans for preserved memorial items, and to return with any legal or procedural clarifications required before signage and formal adoption.
