SCHOOLS CAN BE NAMED ONLY AFTER DECEASED

Despite one example to the contrary, Cape Girardeau School District buildings can only be named after persons who have been deceased for at least three years.

An ad hoc committee to the Cape Girardeau Board of Education is accepting suggestions from district patrons to name the district's newest elementary school, which is scheduled to open next fall. Suggestions will be accepted until Oct. 29, the committee's next meeting date.

Assistant superintendent David Giles said school board policy FF, which was formally adopted Aug. 9, 1993, sets the guidelines for the naming of school buildings. The policy was first introduced in 1992 after school officials received several suggestions for naming buildings, parts of buildings and athletic facilities during the school year. Before then the school district did not have a policy concerning naming of facilities.

The policy states, in part, "The Board may consider requests from school and community groups to name a portion of a building, a single building on a campus with multiple buildings, or a specific area on the campus for a person who is not living, provided the proposed name has special significance and, or the person has made an outstanding contribution to the school of the school system and has been deceased for at least three years."

There is one living exception to this rule. Charles C. Clippard, a long-time educator and principal in the school district, is the namesake of Clippard Elementary School. The building was named prior to the adoption of the naming policy.

Clippard is a member of the ad hoc committee charged with naming the new elementary school, along with Melvin Gateley, another long-time Cape Girardeau educator. Although Giles said he has heard several passing suggestions that the school be named for Gateley, current board policy won't allow it.

"Melvin is wonderful. Who's to say that's not a good idea?" said Giles. "There has been some advocacy for him, but the policy doesn't allow for that."

Giles said the committee was charged specifically to develop a list of naming recommendations. Individual committee members or school patrons may suggest the policy be changed, but the committee will stick to its original duty, he said.

"Our charge is to provide three names with rationales to the school board, and those names are not to be ranked," he said. "That would not include any recommendation to change board policy."

Anyone interested in suggesting a name to the committee should submit a name with an explanation to the district board office, 61 N. Clark. Giles said the committee will review recommendations on Oct. 29 and should be able to submit a list to board members soon after.