The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance when naming a school, district building, or portions of a school building or grounds. The naming of facilities or grounds is a matter of great importance and the Brockton School Committee recognizes that the process must include community participation. However, the naming of school buildings, portions of school buildings, district buildings or school grounds is the sole responsibility of the School Committee.
Proposals to name a school, district building, or portions of a building or grounds must be delivered to the Superintendent of Schools. The Superintendent will forward the proposal to the Chair of the Building/Grounds Naming Subcommittee. The Building/Grounds Naming Subcommittee shall meet to review the proposal (s) and forward same to an ad hoc committee of three (3) impartial individuals appointed by the Superintendent and Building/Grounds Naming Subcommittee whose sole purpose is to provide research and background on the proposed candidates under review for naming. The ad hoc committee shall compile and forward all relevant data to the Building/Grounds Naming Subcommittee for its further review.
On or about September 1 of each year, the Building/Grounds Naming Subcommittee and the Superintendent will jointly establish an impartial ad hoc committee. The ad hoc committee will consist of three (3) impartial individuals deemed qualified to review all relevant proposals forwarded to them by the Superintendent and Building/Grounds Naming Subcommittee and to subsequently provide its findings to said subcommittee. Substitutions may be made to the ad hoc committee within a calendar year as to its members depending on a proposed candidate (s) qualifications or issues that may arise as to impartiality. Specifically, the School Committee shall proceed in its deliberations with an effort to maintain integrity of its review throughout the naming process.
The Building/Grounds Subcommittee will vote whether to forward any candidate (s) deemed worthy of further consideration to the full School Committee, together with all related materials and submissions reviewed in its deliberations. A final vote will be required by the entire School Committee for official approval of naming a school, district building, or portions of a building or grounds. Proposals will be accepted by the Superintendent’s Office twice per calendar year, in the fall and spring. Proposals for review in the fall must be submitted by September 15th and proposals for review in the spring are due by March 15th. Proposals will be reviewed and presented to the School Committee within 90 days of submission unless more time is required in which event a submitting party shall be notified in writing as to the reasons for a delay in deliberations.
In the naming of public schools facilities, if the name of a person is to be used, the following criteria will be applied in the selection of a person(s) to be honored:
Once final approval is given by the School Committee, the person(s) or group that made the proposal will work with the Executive Director of Operations or his/her designee to arrange for the appropriate signage to be placed on the building or at the location. The Executive Director of Operations and the Facilities Subcommittee will make the final decision on the type and location of the signage. The person(s) or group that made the proposal will be responsible for all of the costs associated with the naming of the facility. In the case of new school buildings, the School Department will incur the cost.