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Our school

Nearly a year ago, NOLA-PS outlined a plan to rename school facilities in response to recent public requests and in accordance with policy approved by the OPSB to ensure school facilities do not have names honoring figures from our painful past. The board believes all schools should be welcoming, inclusive, and inspiring places for all students. Our goal is to ensure the names of these physical school facilities and the people that we honor reflect the values of the school district.

 

As their policy states, the OPSB is fundamentally opposed to retaining names of school facilities named for persons who were slave owners, confederate officials, or segregation supporters.

 The OPSB shall have sole authority to name or rename any school facility (i.e., school campuses, individual buildings, athletic fields, stadiums, gymnasiums, libraries, fields, tracks, and multipurpose rooms) private drive, or street it owns. Public input has been a vital part of this process. The full Naming of Facilities policy can be found here.

Click here to see the rationales provided by the Historian Review Team regarding facilities not in compliance with the Facilities policy.

https://opsbus-my.sharepoint.com/:x:/g/personal/jmccorkle_opsb_us/Eep8lQoaA29Njy7SENEOu5cB8LydhalO5i5tRy4tdf-L-Q

 

The renaming process was guided by a Renaming Committee. In accordance with OPSB policy, this committee consisted of a school board member appointed by the OPSB president; a representative of the NOLA-PS administration; and community members approved by the superintendent.

 

After months of public input, hundreds of name considerations, and historical research, the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) unanimously voted and approved NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr.’s list of recommendations for the renaming of several public school buildings. Dr. Lewis’ recommendations took into consideration three months of public input through email, mail, and virtual public meetings. The District received more than 250 name recommendations that were vetted and considered by both the historical and renaming committees.

Facility

SUPERINTENDENT RECOMMENDATIONS

Allen, Henry W.

Ellis L. Marsalis, Jr.

Audubon School

Dorothy Mae Taylor

Behrman, Martin

Rose Mary Loving  

Bienville

Arthur Ashe

Fisk/Howard

Morris  F.X. Jeff, Sr.

Fortier, Alcee

 Elijah Brimmer, Jr.

Franklin, Benjamin ES

Vorice Jackson Waters 

Franklin, Benjamin HS

Katherine Johnson 

Habans, Paul

Dorothy I. Height 

Jackson, Andrew

Justice Revius Oliver Ortique, Jr. 

Lafayette, Marquis de

Leah L. Chase 

Livingston, Edward

Dr. Milton J. Becnel 

Lusher, Robert Mills

Dr. Everett J. Williams, Jr. 

McDonogh, John

Elliot and Mary Jane Willard 

McDonogh 15

 Homer Plessy

McDonogh 28

Albert W. Dent 

McDonogh 35 (Kerlerec)

Dr. Alice R. Geoffray 

McDonogh 35 (Phillips/Waters)

35 College Preparatory High School

McDonogh 42

 Leah Metoyer McKenna

Walker, O. Perry

Augustus T. Walker

Wright, Sophie B.

Judge James Skelly Wright 

Habans, Paul (Herschel Dr)

OPSB# 32B

 

McDonogh #32

OPSB# 32

 

McDonogh #7

OPSB #7

 

 

Find out more about the honorees by clicking the link below:

Renaming Initiative Honorees Biographies

It’s important to note NOLA-PS has the authority to change the outward facing name on any of its buildings. However, it cannot change the program name designated by a Charter Management Organization (CMO). CMOs are autonomous and are governed by their own boards and leadership. Therefore, for example, the OPSB could change a school building’s physical name to read Nelson Mandela School. But, if the CMO chooses to keep its program name, the school’s official name would be titled as follows: “McDonogh 7 Charter School at the Nelson Mandela building.”

 

Additional renaming recommendations

Public input during this effort also brought attention to six more facilities that do not violate the School Board policy, but may benefit the community at large by being renamed. These recommendations will be presented for consideration during the July OPSB Meeting. The administration welcomes feedback on the below proposal up to the July OPSB meeting via community@nolapublicschools.com.

Current Facility Name

Recommendation

Rationale

Little Woods

Delores T. Aaron

Delores T. Aaron  fits policy requirements and promotes further district alignment with building program names.

Bethune

Enrique Alférez

Name change recommendation aligns with current education program and allows further district alignment with building/program names.  Name was recommended through the Facilities Renaming process.

Stuart Bradley

Mary McLeod Bethune

Further district alignment with building/program names.

Lake Area

John F. Kennedy

Align with education program that was selected through community engagement process.  John F. Kennedy is another "Pre-Katrina" community legacy name.  Promotes further district alignment with building/program names.

Village De L'est

Dominic Mai Thanh Luong

AAPI community submitted overwhelming support for Mr. Luong during the Facilities Renaming process.  NOLA's largest concentration of AAPI community is in Michoud.

Arthur Ashe

Vorice Jackson-Waters Annex

Provides the opportunity to name Bienville facility, Arthur Ashe.

Martin Luther King, Jr.
(Rocheblave)

Dr. Alfred Lawless, Jr.

Restoration of strong community legacy name after overwhelming community feedback requesting this action to be a part of this process.  This action further promotes community alignment with the district and reduces duplicate facility names within portfolio.

Contact

Report Fraud

Department of Children and Family Services

Call 1-855-4LA-KIDS (1-855-452-5437) to report child abuse and neglect.

Report Abuse

Hotline Number for Parents
504-527-KIDS

School-based issues or concerns from parents

24-hour Hotline Number for Community
504-522-HELP

School and District based concerns, feedback, & inquiries from school staff or community members

External Resources

NOLA Public Schools. Every Child. Every School. Every Day.

2401 Westbend Parkway
New Orleans, Louisiana 70114

Phone: 504-304-5612

Phone: 504-304-3520

Hotline Number for Parents
504-527-KIDS

School-based issues or concerns from parents

24-hour Hotline Number for Community
504-522-HELP
District based community concerns, feedback, & inquiries from school staff or community members