West Aurora considers naming policy for school facilities
West Aurora District 129 officials think it is time to formalize a policy on how its facilities are named.
Just in case it ever builds a new school; someone wants to name an auditorium after a favorite teacher; or a company is willing to drop a check on the district to buy a scoreboard or something.
The board doesn't have a formal policy but with the increased attention on district buildings due to a major building campaign, there is more interest in the matter, according to Superintendent Jeff Craig.
In April voters approved an $84 million plan that will put additions on many schools, including a field house at West Aurora High School, as well as the construction of a replacement Hill Elementary School.
The high school is the only school not named after a person. Besides George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, and the first white settler of North Aurora, the other schools are named after teachers or administrators from the district.
The policy developed by administrators envisions three levels of naming rights.
The first would be permanently naming facilities other than buildings - such as auditoriums and classrooms.
The second regards naming rights when someone makes a donation or pays a fee. That could include advertising, such as on a scoreboard or fence for a specified period of time. What is up for naming, what it would cost and what kind of advertising is appropriate, would be determined by the board. Products that are not legal for students to buy, such as alcohol, would not be considered at all.
The most important is the naming of buildings because a name becomes part of the school's permanent legal record. Changing involves more than taking down a plaque.
"Naming a building is probably the highest honor that can be done," said Angie Smith, the district's assistant superintendent for operations. The proposed policy suggests the board name an ad hoc committee each time to do research on people suggested for that honor, both to vet the nominees and to gauge what the community thinks.
Board members suggested naming buildings only after deceased people. That would largely eliminate the potential of naming a building after a person, than trying to undo that if the person does something immoral or illegal. Smith referred to the removal of former congressman Dennis Hastert's name from some buildings and events after he was indicted on federal bank fraud charges earlier this year.
Administrators also suggest that for naming buildings, the board should convene a committee to vet the suggestions and make a recommendation to the board.
The proposed policy will be displayed at the district's offices for 30 days before the board votes on it.