Revised: December 11, 2018
Policy
The Board of Education understands that our facilities are an integral part of the community in which they are situated. As such, the naming of a school or school district facility will be decided by the Board of Education following reasonable consultation with student and parent representatives, school and district staff, and members of the local community.
The Board of Education believes dedicating school district facilities should relate to significant appreciation for one of the following; local historic events and/or places, distinguishing characteristics of the area, and/or local citizens who have made a notable, long-lasting contribution.
Community pride and involvement in the naming process serves to deepen the connection between school district and community, and enhances a facility’s identity.
Guiding Principles
The following are guiding principles for persons wishing to propose the naming of district facilities:
- School district facilities will not be named after living persons
- If the dedication is in a person’s name, the family representative is supportive of dedication
- If naming after a person, consideration shall be given to groups in our community which have historically not been well-represented such as women, Indigenous Peoples and visible minorities
- In the event that there are multiple submissions for a particular facility, the Board of Education will go through a consultative process to determine the most supported proposal
- Within a facility there may be a dedication made to multiple individuals
- Naming rights with potential corporate partners or significant donors must adhere to this naming policy [See also
Policy 413: Corporate Sponsorships, Partnerships and Advertising in Schools]
- Existing and rebuilt school facilities/parts of facilities will not be re-named except in exceptional circumstances [See Policy 808: Re-naming of Facilities and Parts of Facilities]
- The Board of Education reserves the right to remove a name in the event of exceptional circumstances [See
Policy 807: Naming of Facilities and Parts of Facilities – Administrative Procedures].
Indigenous Gifting of Names
The exception to this policy pertains to Indigenous place names. Our local Indigenous Community may wish to gift a school district site with an Indigenous place name to acknowledge the Traditional Territories on which it resides. The Indigenous name may be used in addition to the official site name. In collaboration with Indigenous Elders, the school district will support the receiving of an Indigenous name in recognition of Reconciliation, and to honour the land on which we learn, live and share educational experiences.
Administrative Procedures
