I. Purpose
To present procedures and guidelines to be employed when a Prince George’s County Board of Education (Board) school, school district facility or grounds, or a component of a school or facility is named or renamed. This administrative procedure also provides guidance on the placement of monuments on school grounds.
II. Policy
It is the responsibility of the Board to select names of all schools, school district facilities, or components of schools and school district facilities, and for erecting monuments. The Board shall carefully consider and respect community recommendations in the naming/renaming process and whether to erect a monument on Board property. Names and monuments selected must provide recognition to individuals or organizations that have provided an educational, cultural, or community influence and are anchored by excellence in equity and significantly impacted Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS). (Board Policy 3500)
III. Definitions
- Components of Schools or School District Facilities – Areas within a school or facility, including classrooms, media centers, athletic fields, conference rooms, common areas and other components which are part of a building or site.
- Naming Commission or Commission – A group made up of appointed members by the Superintendent who reflect the diversity and demographics of the PGCPS student body and whose purpose is to determine the appropriateness of recommended names for schools, school facilities, and components of schools and school facilities or the erection of monuments to honor individuals or organizations. The Superintendent will determine the number of participants, eligibility for membership, and terms of service.
- Naming Committee – A committee that is appointed by the Superintendent to recommend names to the Naming Commission for schools, school facilities, and components of schools and school facilities or the erection of monuments.
- Parent Teacher Association (PTA) /Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) /Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) – A PTA is a formal organization composed of parents, teachers and staff that is intended to facilitate parental participation in a school. A PTA is affiliated with the National PTA and pays dues to be a part of the umbrella organization. A PTO is a formal organization that consists of parents, teachers and school staff. It is not affiliated with Parent-Teacher Association. A PTSA is a PTA that includes student members.
- School district facilities/grounds – Facilities that are owned by the Board but are not schools, such as: Oxon Hill Development Center, the Bonnie F. Johns Educational Media Center, etc.
IV. Procedures
- Naming Commission
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The Superintendent shall establish a Naming Commission pursuant to section IV. B. of Board Policy 3500
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The Naming Commission shall be made up of five (5) Prince George’s County residents who reflect the diversity and demographics of the student population. A designee appointed by the Superintendent will develop an application for membership of the Naming Commission. Once the Naming Commission is established, it will vote to appoint a Chair.
- The Commission will evaluate the appropriateness of the names for the naming/renaming of schools, facilities, dedicated areas of schools and erected monuments recommended by the Naming Committee utilizing the evaluation methodology and scoring rubric developed by the Prince George’s County Council Responsible Legacy Task Force. The Commission will provide the results of the evaluation to the Naming Committee.
- New Schools/Consolidated Schools/Existing Schools
- Twelve months prior to the opening of a new or consolidated school or prior to renaming an existing school, a Naming Committee will be appointed by the Superintendent/designee. The Naming Committee membership shall consist of a minimum of two (2) citizens who live in the area in which the school is located; two (2) parents of students who attend or will be attending the school in question; two (2) students who attend or are likely to attend the school; two (2) staff members as designated by the Superintendent/designee; and one (1) Parent Teacher Association Board Member or a parent leader identified by the Principal of the school if there is no established PTO/PTA/PTSA.
- The Superintendent’s designee will develop an application and selection process for identifying members of each Naming Committee.
- The Naming Committee will be responsible for providing a recommendation for three (3) possible names.
- Schools shall be named after living or deceased individuals who have made significant contributions to students and the school district; the history and/or general location or geographical features of the area; or the stated goals of the school. Names of existing schools or combinations thereof shall not be re-used except in those cases where existing schools are being closed and/or merged or discontinued as public schools.
- The Naming Committee shall submit its three (3) proposed names to the school principal/designee who will submit the three (3) proposed names to the Naming Commission. The Naming Commission will evaluate the three (3) proposed names utilizing the evaluation methodology and scoring rubric developed by the Prince George’s County Council Responsible Legacy Task Force (RLTF) and provide the results of the evaluation back to the Naming Committee and school principal. (See Attachment 1). The Naming Commission will notify the Naming Committee and school principal if any of the proposed names fail to meet the specified criteria, and the Naming Committee will have an opportunity to propose a substitute name(s) back to the Naming Commission. Those names that ultimately meet the criteria, along with the Naming Commission’s evaluation results, will be submitted by the school principal to the Superintendent. The Superintendent shall recommend the three (3) proposed names in order of preference to the Board for final selection and approval.
- Narrative / Plaque
- A brief narrative and/or plaque explaining the naming or renaming of the consolidated school or existing school should be exhibited in a prominent place within the facility.
- A new school building or district facility is to be adorned with a permanent plaque in the front interior of the building. It must include the names of the Board members and the Superintendent (or Chief Executive Officer) that were in office during the final approval process to build the new school or district facility
- School District Facilities and Grounds
- Prior to naming a new or renaming an existing school district facility or grounds, the Superintendent/designee will appoint a Naming Committee. The Naming Committee membership shall consist of a minimum of three (3) citizens who live in the area in which the facility or grounds are located, and two (2) staff members as designated by the Superintendent/designee.
- The Superintendent’s designee will develop an application and selection process for identifying members of each Naming Committee.
- The Naming Committee will be responsible for providing a recommendation for three possible names.
- School district facilities/grounds owned by the Board shall be named after the geographical location of the facility or grounds, their use for a new purpose, or for a prominent living or deceased person who made an exceptional contribution to students and the school district.
- The naming or renaming of school district facilities/grounds shall follow the same requirements as for naming new schools/consolidated schools and existing schools as stated above, except that the Naming Committee must submit the three (3) proposed names directly to the Naming Commission. The names that ultimately meet the criteria, along with the Naming Commission’s evaluation results, will be submitted by the Naming Committee to the Superintendent.
- Naming Components of Schools or School District Facilities, and Erecting Monuments
- Prior to naming a component of a school or school district facility, or erecting a monument, the Superintendent shall appoint a Naming Committee.
- Component of a School or Erecting a Monument
The Naming Committee membership shall consist of a minimum of two (2) citizens who live in the area in which the school is located, or the school where the monument would be erected; two (2) parents of students who attend or will be attending the school in question; two (2) students who attend or are likely to attend the school; two (2) staff members from the school as designated by the Superintendent, and one (1) Parent Teacher Association Board Member or a parent leader identified by the principal of the school if there is no established PTO/PTA/PTSA.
- School District Facility
The Naming Committee membership shall consist minimally of two (2) citizens who live in the area in which the facility is located and two (2) staff members from the facility as designated by the Superintendent.
- Components of schools or school district facilities may be named in honor of a person, living or deceased. In addition, the placement of monuments on school grounds to honor a person, living or deceased, may be considered. The name or monument must be for a prominent person who is making or who made an exceptional contribution to students and the school district.
- The naming of a component of a school or the placement of a monument shall follow the process set forth in section IV.B.3. The naming of a school district facility shall follow the process set forth in section IV.C.3.
- Limitations
- For the purposes of guiding the work of Naming Committees and the Naming Commission, the following limitations apply:
- No school, school district facility or grounds, or component of a school or school district facility or grounds shall be named after an individual whose positions, opinions and/or reputation is inconsistent with the mission and vision of the Board and PGCPS. This same ethos applies to the erection of a monument.
- No school, school district facility or grounds, or component of a school or school district facility or grounds shall be named after an employee of PGCPS unless they have been separated from employment for at least three (3) years. This same ethos applies to the erection of a monument.
V. Monitoring and Compliance
- The Superintendent is responsible for ensuring that the three (3) names that are submitted to the Board have been evaluated by the Naming Commission and meet the requirements listed above.
- The Division of Operations shall maintain an updated master list of past names of schools with historically significant names that have been retired. Retired names shall be reserved for future consideration when school facilities are renamed or when new school facilities are opened. The pool of historic names will be populated with names of school facilities that have been closed or renamed since 2000. The Division of Operations will provide this list of names to each Naming Committee when it is formed.
VI. Related Policies and Procedures
VII. Maintenance and Update of These Procedures
This administrative procedure originates with the Office of the Chief of Operations and will be updated as needed.
VIII. Cancellations and Supersedures
This administrative procedure cancels and supersedes Administrative Procedure 3500, dated July 1, 2022.
IX. Effective Date
December 8, 2025.
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