CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – It’s back to the drawing board as the newest addition to the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System continues to be referred to as “Elementary School 26” after Tuesday night’s School Board meeting ended with a failed vote.
With the phase one purchase of land off of Fort Campbell Boulevard finalized the last week of January, the School Board convened on Feb. 6 for their monthly study session and was updated on the progress of the new school and a potential name: Freedom Valley.
The name Freedom Valley Elementary School was developed by Schools Director Dr. Jean Luna-Vedder and the CMCSS operations team, and was chosen out of a list of 40 other contending names. According to a previous Clarksville Now article, the name Freedom Valley is a tribute to Fort Campbell’s military’s perseverance and grit and a symbol of the Clarksville-Montgomery County community’s resilience and prosperity.
Why not name it after a person?
Several community members and board members raised concerns about the naming of the school based on the current procedure.
CMCSS Policy Number FAC-A006, Naming of Facilities, states that a new school must be named according to the area the building will be located in, or after a previously existing Montgomery County school, but not after an individual.
Many seemed to disagree with this policy and said there are several local heroes who deserve the recognition of having a school named after them.
The final vote to name it Freedom Elementary failed 1-3 with three abstentions.
Only Kent Griffy voted yes. Voting no were Jimmie Garland, Aron Maberry and Herb Nelson. Those who abstained were Carol Berry, Margaret Pace and Charlie Patterson.
Afterward, Nelson made a motion to have the policy of naming schools reviewed for change so that the board would have more options to consider. The board unanimously voted yes, and the policy will be reviewed in the March study session.
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