From here on out schools and facilities within the Upper Grand District School Board will not be named after a person or corporation.
The revised school and board facilities naming policy was approved on Tuesday at a board meeting.
The policy went out for public consultation for 30 days before the final policy was recommended for approval. In response to the policy, 34 comments were made and two thirds of the respondents were not supportive of the policy changes. This included the board no longer allowing schools and facilities to be named after people.
Along with names not being named after a person or corporation, according to the policy, the names should:
- Be selected with opportunities for input from students, staff, parents/guardians/caregivers and local community members served by the school or board facility
- Consider the local diversities of the school communities
- Be distinguishable from other schools and facilities in the board and co-terminus boards
- Be timeless and avoid trends or references that may lose meaning over time
If not a person, what can schools be named after? The name can have references to the local environment, landscapes, ecosystems or environmental sustainability. It can also be reflective of Indigenous people and the lands where the school or facility is situated. Things like an area’s history, nearby streets or a reference to the community or subdivision can also be considered.
Naming a school or facility can start once the board approves construction of it or if the board makes a decision based on a request for the name of a school or board facility.
The same considerations for naming a new school apply for renaming a school or facility.
It’s not the board’s intent to regularly review the names of existing facilities but to ensure any names chosen under the policy are inclusive, read trustee Lynn Topping from a policy and priorities committee meeting summary.
The name may be reviewed if the board responds to a request for renaming.
Some of the reasons for renaming may include:
- A reasonable concern that the current name is culturally insensitive, discriminatory, or undermines UGDSB’s values
- The current name isn’t relevant anymore, the local community doesn't support it or isn’t appropriate for UGDSB
- If there is a significant change in the identity and school focus or programming
- If there is a consolidation or amalgamation of schools
For naming and renaming, names being considered will be researched and vetted by a naming committee and stakeholder groups. This includes consultation with the board's First Nation Métis, Inuit education council.
The policy's next review is set for the 2029/2030 school year.
