The results of a survey to gather new potential names for Mortimer Y. Sutherland Middle School show a majority of respondents would prefer to keep the moniker.
The naming review committee for the school will move forward next week when the body is set to hear public input and select 10 potential names.
More than 400 people took the survey, which was open to the Sutherland school community as well as elementaries that feed into it. About 40% of respondents were students and 43.6% were parents, according to results released Wednesday.
The advisory committee made up of teachers and parents from the school community first met for an organizational meeting in early March, but it paused the review process at the start of the coronavirus pandemic when restrictions prevented in-person meetings.
The school division’s current policy regarding naming reviews does allow for the school community to keep the current name. If Sutherland is one of the three finalists, the committee would then review Sutherland’s contributions to the community and gauge their significance as well as determine whether his personal and professional conduct exemplify current school division values.
Sutherland opened in 1994 and is named for Mortimer Sutherland, a former School Board member and county supervisor.
The committee will pick three finalists after a community meeting on May 28 and then recommend a name to schools Superintendent Matt Haas.
On Monday, the committee will review the survey results and narrow the suggestions to 10. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. and will be streamed online at http://streaming.k12albemarle.org/ACPS/player.htm?xml/publicmeeting.xml.
A majority of survey respondents said the school’s location and community should be a top priority in the name of the building. They suggested 172 ideas. Forest Lakes, Hollymead and Northside were the most popular, according to the results provided by the division Wednesday.
Other individuals proposed Monacan or Proffit middle school in recognition of the area’s history. Other ideas included Neighborhood Middle School in a nod to Fred Rogers and Willow Tree Middle School.
“The willow tree symbolizes balance, learning, growth, and harmony,” a respondent wrote.
Another suggested Parade Middle School.
“The mascot could be an elephant! Elephants are wise, quick learners, and cooperative with one another,” the individual wrote. “Parade is a name for a herd of Elephants.”
Speakers can weigh in on the list of names or make other suggestions. Those who want to participate in the virtual meeting should email SchoolNamingReview@k12albemarle.org.
Last year, the School Board voted to change the name of Paul H. Cale Elementary to Mountain View Elementary following a months-long review of Cale, a longtime county schools superintendent. The division is planning to review every school named after an individual.
Source: www.dailyprogress.com