811 Procedure: Naming School Facilities

I.    GENERAL PROCEDURE

A.     Names for New Educational Facilities

1.    Management of the School Naming Process
The School Board will manage the process of naming school district facilities.

2.    Public Involvement

a.  Community relations staff members will advise the community about the process and the timeline for naming the new school or repurposed facilities.  Public notification will include, but not be limited to, online posts, to PTAs/other, school councils, community organizations and civic clubs, and news releases.

b.  The public may submit names for School Board consideration through email or specified forms. The names submitted must conform to Board Policy above.

c.   A minimum six-week timeline will be established for the public to propose names. 

d.  The Superintendent's or their designee will forward the names proposed and any supporting documentation to the School Board.

e.  Community feedback will be solicited on up to three of the top proposed names. This will be shared with the Board before determining the final name.

f.   Once the Board votes on a name, the Superintendent’s designee is responsible for informing the public of the approved name.

B.     Names for Areas within Educational Facilities

1.    The administration in charge of the facility shall manage requests to name areas of school facilities and property.  These requests shall be forwarded to the Superintendent or their designee for notification to the School Board prior to administrative approval.  The Superintendent or their designee will inform Board Members of the request in writing and will set a time period for the Board to comment.  When the time period has expired, the Superintendent’s or their designee will advise the local school administrator of the status of the request.

2.    The areas of educational facilities that may be named are limited to: media centers, stadiums, auditoriums, gymnasiums, buildings detached from the main building of the facility (classrooms, administrative or athletic), playgrounds, athletic fields, gardens or nature areas containing a minimum of 300 square feet.

3.    Schools and their communities may honor a living or deceased person or an entity, according to these provisions:

a.    School district employees, living or deceased may be considered if they have distinguished themselves through work at the educational facility for a minimum of five (5) consecutive years or ten (10) cumulative years in the school district.
b.    Living or deceased members of the community served by the educational facility may be eligible, if those individuals have distinguished themselves through ten (10) documented years of school-related service and have held membership in at least one school-related support organization (PTA, Booster Clubs, Citizens’ Advisory Council, School Council, etc.) during the years of their children’s enrollment in Osseo Area Schools.  Also, the person must have made a significant educational, historical or social contribution in the community.

4.    Local School Administration shall confer with District Administration regarding guidelines and specifications for signs or markers to be placed on school facilities and campuses to honor persons for whom educational facilities are named.

C.    Other Use of School Property for Commemorative Purposes

School administrators and faculties may, at their option, place pictures, plaques and other non-permanent commemorative objects on the internal walls of educational facilities in recognition of persons, organizations and events.

The use of school facilities and property for honoring or memorializing persons shall be limited to the provisions of this policy and regulations.  However, if the naming of a facility for this purpose preceded the adoption of this policy, that name may remain in place.
 

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