Currently in Carroll County Public Schools, any portion of any of the county's 42 school buildings can be named after anyone as a means of honor, support or commemoration.

But that could soon change.

The Board of Education is seeking feedback this month on a policy that would prohibit allowing parts of schools — from athletic stadiums and auditoriums to music rooms and teacher lounges — to be named after people.

Comments are due by July 3 at 4 p.m. and the board is expected to vote at its July 8 meeting.

CCPS already has a policy on how to name schools themselves, but a committee, chaired by Sherri Bream, director of high schools, is proposing that parts of schools should not be named after any single person, either living or dead.

The reason is that places such as auditoriums and athletic fields have multiple users, she said, and singling out one person isn't fair.

"For instance, the school stadium. Do you name it after the football coach, the lacrosse coach?" she said.

The policy is causing some concern at South Carroll High School, where school officials are in the process of naming the athletic field after former football coach Ken Parker, who coached the team from 1967 to 1991. Parker's squads won multiple championships and he continued to volunteer even after his retirement.

"Whether Kenny Parker is deserving of having a field named after him, there's no discussion," school Principal Eric King said. But a decision will have to wait until the school board decides how to proceed.

The board has placed a moratorium on naming parts of schools, said Carey Gaddis, CCPS spokeswoman, but the board is allowing consideration of South Carroll High's request. She said so far, the board has received 36 comments on the proposal:

• Nineteen people are against it;

• Seven people think South Carroll High School should be allowed to name the field after Ken Parker;

• Three people support the policy; and

• Two people don't care and think creating the policy is a waste of time.

Bream said the committee tried to consider many facts — including schools that have been around for a long time. For instance, Westminster High School is in its 109th year — and on its third building.

"Conceivably over 109 years, you'd have people who contribute a lot of nice things," Bream said. Also, staff might have to contemplate if names carry over to a new building if the school moves, she added.

The policy proposal would allow some commemorative plaques on items such as display cases or benches, as long as they contain wording that says "in honor, in recognition or in memory of ... ."

Bream said the school system officials do not know how many parts of schools around the county are named after people. But one thing is for sure — they won't mess with places that are already named for people, such as Schnorr Auditorium at Liberty High School in Eldersburg, which was dedicated in 2007 after retired theater teacher Kathy Schnorr.

"Anything already named would not be changed," Bream said. "We're not going to go back and say 'too bad.' "

Some of the names have significant lore behind them. CCPS Superintendent Dr. Charles Ecker said one such landmark is Ruby Field at Westminster High, named after the late coach Herb Ruby.

Ruby coached the Owls' football team from 1947 to 1962, winning a championship, and also coached the school's basketball team to a championship. In addition, he became the county's first supervisor of health and physical education.

In the spring of 1964, the Board of Education named Westminster High's field after then-superintendent Samuel Jenness. But the community had other ideas, and instead thought it should be named after Ruby.

By that fall, the field was changed to Ruby Field, Ecker said.

"Now you look back and say, who remembers Herb Ruby?" said Ecker. "I do."

No corporate donors

Regulations over donors requesting that parts of the school be named after them — similar to colleges' policies — are not directly covered by the new policy, or by the board's fundraising policy.

Offers have came up a couple times since 2000, Ecker said, including one donation for money to install a synthetic turf field as long as the field was named after the company.

"The board at that time decided, and is still of the mindset, that it does not take any donations for field or any part of school or field for any company" or individual, Ecker said.

That issue itself might come up during the July meeting, he said.

"That may be necessary when the economy is bad, and there's less money for schools," he said. " ... I don't know what the future holds."

The closest fundraiser policy the board has is one on banner advertisements where schools can sell vinyl banners at athletic fields and raise up to $100,000 each year.

Feedback

Comments on the proposed policy and administrative procedures are due by 4 p.m., Friday, July 3. Comments may be sent to feedback@carrollk12.org.

Name game

A new policy being considered by Carroll County Public Schools would prohibit parts of schools from being named for people. However, principals could establish a process and approval for commemorative plaques, as long as wording denotes "in honor, in recognition, or in memory of ..." and doesn't name or dedicate an area of the school. Also, any areas already named or dedicated will remain.

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user comments (1)

user grannieev says...

I think the policy is unnecessary and also a waste of time. Carroll Co. Government and our towns still names parks, etc. after people so why should the schools be different? If anyone wants to know why a field is named, they can research it and learn a bit of history.

Posted 2:33 PM, 07.20.09

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