The recommendations for names for the new West Salem elementary and middle schools were presented to the School Board at their business meeting on December 14 by the subcommittee of the Citizen Bond Oversight Committee.
The subcommittee received 25 names and held a public hearing on November 8, 2010, where 21 individuals testified in support of their suggested name. The CBOC subcommittee reviewed each of the nominations, listened to the testimony, and then evaluated the suggested names against the criteria established by the procedure for Naming of New Schools (ADM-P003) the recommendations are as follows:
For the elementary school:
The subcommittee’s first choice is Kalapuya Elementary School. The Kalapuya tribe lived throughout the Willamette Valley. The committee believes that this name recognizes the historical and cultural impact Native Americans have had on our community. Additionally, the school district has not yet named any of our schools after a local Native American tribe and choosing this option expands upon the diversity of school names within the district.
The subcommittee’s second choice is Abigail Scott Duniway Elementary School. Ms. Duniway’s most notable contribution was her work for suffrage, which was the right of women to vote and run for office, which resulted in Oregon becoming the seventh state in the United States to allow women the right to vote. She was the first woman to vote in Multnomah County. Prior to her marriage, Ms. Duniway was a school teacher in the Willamette Valley (Eola settlement).
For the middle school:
The subcommittee’s first choice is Orchard Heights Middle School. This name clearly identifies the location of the middle school and the neighborhood in which it is placed.
The subcommittee’s second choice is Mountain View Middle School. This choice describes the geography of the location as well as references a K-8 school, which operated from the early 1900s until it closed in 1973, and was located across Orchard Heights Road.
The nomination process, which was open to the public and solicited suggestions for school names that met the criteria established in the Naming of New Schools procedure (ADM-P003), which sets the parameters for school names.
The Board is scheduled to take action on naming the schools at their business meeting on January 11, 2010.
