Hermiston School District administration provided three final name suggestions to the board of education at its meeting on Monday. The proposed names are for the new elementary school to be built on Theater Lane, with construction expected to begin in the spring of 2021.
The three names are in Spanish, representing our community and student demographics:
- Artemisa Elementary School (Sagebrush Elementary School)
- Loma Vista Elementary School (Hill View Elementary School)
- La Senda Elementary School (The Pathway Elementary School)
Community members are asked to take the survey online and rank the three options. The survey will close on Aug. 28, at 12 p.m.
Board of education policy requires that schools be named for their location or community, a famous American, or a local resident who has not been active with the community or schools for at least five years. Other names could be recommended with supporting justification.
HSD released an initial survey in May seeking public input. Sixty-one percent of survey respondents preferred the name to be a local geographical or environmental feature. Per community direction, suggestions were narrowed down to this criteria.
The board reviewed the community input, and in trying to represent our broader community and student demographics, translated the suggestions into Spanish.
I really think better name then Hispanic names could have been chosen. If these names are kept I definitely won’t be supporting the school
I suppose calling it Reefer Ridge (what the E Theater Lane area was known as back when) was out of the question. 🙂
Nothing to fear from using Spanish words to name a school.
And what are you doing for the other elementary schools that this school might be missing out on? If it’s casual racism and fear of our community members who don’t look like you, then go ahead and “don’t support” the school because nobody needs that here or anywhere.
This is United States were suppose to speak English not Spanish. So, we need to use English word to name the school
But why? Really, no offerings of English names? German? Asian? European? So we have to cater to specific groups now? Is it a Hispanic only school?
Spanish words, not Spanish names. Words, people. This isn’t the new Che Guevara Elementary. Are you all so afraid of words? Teach your children tolerance, not hatred and bigotry.
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