NEW NAMING POLICY IS BETTER

State education experts should take their cue from the Cape Girardeau Board of Education. The board looked at its policy for naming new schools, saw that it was too arbitrary and changed the policy.

That's an example of real leadership in action. Astute leaders can admit when something isn't working and change it.

Previously, the board policy required that a person be dead for at least three years before their name could be considered for a building. The board lifted those restrictions at a recent meeting.

The board based its decision on public sentiment and research of other school buildings. It turns out most of them were named after people when they were still alive or shortly after their death -- certainly not three years.

An 11-member ad hoc school naming committee has been gathering suggestions to name the new school under construction near the corner of Sprigg and Bertling. The list includes nearly 50 names so far. Now this group can continue its work, whittling the list down to three for presentation to the board.

That's not to say the finalists must include a living person. Certainly, the choice is up to the committee and ultimately the school board.

But by lifting this restriction, the committee and board can consider every suggestions in the hunt for the perfect name for Cape Girardeau's newest school building.