Citizens naming committee reviews 51 Lindberg School name proposals, sets July 13 scoring deadline

The Citizens Naming Committee for Lindberg School continued its review of proposed replacement names on July 1, 2026, as members discussed research needs, pronunciation of Ho-Chunk-language proposals and how the School Board’s policy 6700 will constrain eligibility. Chair Betsy E. Abramson opened the Zoom meeting and reminded the group that the committee must answer two rubric questions for each nominee: the person’s prominence and the nominee’s connection to Madison.

"We must ask that second question of what's the level of the person's connection to Madison," Abramson said, noting the policy requirement can exclude otherwise admirable candidates with no local tie. Committee staff also confirmed the school’s mascot, the Flyers, will not change as part of the renaming process.

District staff member Chelsea, who is managing the scoring process, told the committee she adjusted the rubric interface to capture which committee track members are scoring so her analysis can run faster. She also thanked volunteer researcher Gail (Wisconsin Historical Society) for compiling extensive background material: "She to date has put in over 61 hours between Lindberg, Chavez and [other schools] for research," Chelsea said, adding she would post pronunciation audio and additional research in the committee chat.

The committee discussed a cross-section of 13 names flagged for fuller review, including proposals honoring local educators and public figures and several Ho-Chunk-language names tied to flight or local wildlife. Members praised nominees such as Darlene Hancock (a former principal at Glenn Stevens Elementary) for local service while some questioned how widely known Hancock is beyond certain neighborhoods. On the proposed environmental name of Gaylord Nelson, members noted Nelson’s founding role with Earth Day and said Lindberg’s proximity to Cherokee Marsh could support an ecology-themed choice.

Ho-Chunk-language nominations prompted particular attention to pronunciation and category placement. Chelsea said she would request audio pronunciations from Tara Tinder, the district’s teacher leader for Native American education, and link official Ho-Chunk Nation pronunciation resources where available. Tiffany, a Lindberg staff member, described how students and staff value the Flyers mascot and said many in the school community favor retaining a "flying" motif in school identity: "Staff really talked about wanting to keep Flyers and wanting to have some aspect of flight," she said.

Committee members also raised questions about honoring historical figures with distant ties to Madison. The group discussed Irena Sendler (a Polish rescuer of Jewish children during World War II), acknowledging her humanitarian record while debating whether a person without a strong local connection fits the rubric and how schools would handle sensitive historical material in classroom instruction. District staff offered to circulate age-appropriate teaching resources and to present approaches to discussing difficult history with students.

Chelsea reviewed logistics: members can edit their original Google Form responses or resubmit scores; timestamps will determine which entry is counted. She set the committee deadline to complete scoring for all 51 proposed names by July 13 at 9 a.m., with a planned July 15 session to review deidentified averages and next steps.

The committee closed by agreeing to follow-up work: Gail will complete deeper research on four flagged names before the next meeting; Chelsea will collect pronunciation audio for Ho-Chunk entries; staff committed to broadening outreach so students can participate in the public-hearing phase; and the committee will reconvene to review aggregated scoring. Mary Heinbecker made a motion to adjourn, Fred Gance seconded it, and the committee adjourned by voice vote.

What’s next: committee members should complete scoring by July 13. The district will post meeting recordings and supporting research; further discussion and a public hearing are expected after the July 15 data review.