Schools

Superintendent Postpones Ducketts School Naming Discussion

A committee on naming the school was scheduled to present its findings Oct. 2.

Recommendations for naming the new elementary school on Ducketts Lane, slated for Tuesday's Board of Education meeting, were taken off the agenda at the last minute.

"#HoCo Supt Foose pulls naming of new Elkridge-area elementary school to get more public input, rescheduled for December report," school board member Brian Meshkin posted on Twitter at 4:08 p.m.; the board meeting began at 4 p.m.

At 3:21 p.m., just before the meeting, the Howard County Public School System sent out a call for those interested in joining a committee to name the elementary school.

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A committee of 18 already exists, according to a report from the group tasked with naming the elementary school, which was supposed to present its findings at the Oct. 2 meeting.

Since its formation over the summer, the committee convened twice, according to its report, available on the Board of Education's website.

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The name for the Ducketts Lane elementary school, which is planned to open by fall 2013, was supposed to incorporate geographic elements and not duplicate another school's name or initials, per the school system's policy.

The name the committee planned to propose was "Stone Bridge Elementary."

At the school board's last meeting in September, Meshkin expressed concern that no one from Elkridge Elementary, one of the major feeder schools for the Ducketts Lane school, had been included in the naming process.

Two people came forward after the September meeting, one from the Elkridge PTA and another from the Ducketts Lane community, saying they had tried to join the committee but were not given information about the meetings.

"We are seeking additional community input," said Rebecca Amani-Dove, spokeswoman for the Howard County Public School System, about Superintendent Renee Foose's decision to delay the discussion about the school's name. "The initial committee did not have representatives from all impacted neighborhoods."

The school naming committee will present a report at the Dec. 3 Board of Education meeting, according to school officials.

There was supposed to be a public hearing on the name Nov. 1 with the school board voting on the name by Dec. 4. According to the school naming committee's report, a principal for the new school will be announced by Dec. 18.

This article was updated to include comment from the school system at 9:40 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 2.

See Related:

  • Ducketts School Naming Comittee Concerns Board of Education Member
  • Readers Propose Names for Ducketts Elementary
  • SHA: 'We Haven't Said No' to Traffic Light on Ducketts
  • Ducketts Lane School Construction Heightens Traffic Concerns

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