The Board shall have complete authority and responsibility for the permanent naming of District facilities.
Regarding the temporary naming of areas, such as the athletic field or entrance at Rhodes Stadium, based on an advertising agreement, see policy GKB.
The term "facility" shall refer to a new or existing school or District-wide complex owned and operated by the District. The term "portion of a facility" shall include a building, library, media center, auditorium, performing arts center, gymnasium, athletic field, or other portion of a school, support complex, or property owned and/or operated by the District. A portion of a facility shall not include individual classrooms.
Guidelines
The following guidelines shall govern the permanent naming or re-naming of new or existing District-owned facilities or portions of facilities. A facility or portion of a facility may be named for a person; in honor of a historic event or place; a subdivision or geographic area; or for a major donor.
Extensive research shall be conducted before a final decision is made regarding naming a facility or portion of a facility.
Named for a Person
The Board shall consider naming a new facility or a portion of a new or existing facility for a person who meets the following criteria, as applicable by category.
Community Member or Member of the General Public
A facility or portion of a facility may be named for a person that has made significant contributions to the District, public education, his or her field of endeavor, or to society in general and represents virtues or characteristics that serve as a role model to students, staff, and the community.
District Board members and District employees should be considered under the "Board Member" and "Employee" criteria.
District Board Member
A facility or portion of a facility may be named for a person who has made significant contributions during his or her term as a member of the District's Board and who is not a current member of the Board at the time a decision on the naming of a facility is under consideration.
District Employee
A facility or portion of a facility may be named for a person who has worked in the District if the person has been in education for at least 20 years, has been a distinguished District employee for at least 10 years, is retired or deceased, and has made a significant contribution to the District and public education.
Family Name
A facility or portion of a facility may be named for a family who has made a significant contribution to the District, public education, their field of endeavor, or to society in general. The family name shall represent virtues or characteristics that serve as a role model to students, staff, and the community. The most senior living family member shall not be a current District Board member or District employee.
Named for a Historic Event or Place, Subdivision, or Geographic Area
The Board shall consider naming a facility or portion of a facility in honor of a historic event or place, subdivision, or geographic area subject to the following:
- If more than one community will be served by a particular facility, the facility shall receive a "neutral" name.
- A facility named for a historic event shall have major significance to the District, the city of Katy, greater Katy area, the city of Houston, or the state of Texas.
Named for a Major Donor
The Board shall consider naming a facility or portion of a facility in honor of a major donor. Specific District guidelines shall be developed for corporate or individual sponsorship of schools. The guidelines shall specify required levels of monetary or in-kind donations, as well as appropriateness of the sponsor.
A name may be reused for facility naming purposes in the event facility is consolidated or demolished.
Recommendation Process for Naming New and Existing Facilities
Except in circumstances where a new or existing facility may be named for a major donor, the Board may request the Superintendent to solicit names for a specific facility and direct the Superintendent to form a committee for the purpose of proposing a name.
Nominations
A person who wishes to submit a name for consideration should identify the facility and provide a clear, concise explanation of why the name should be honored. Nominations shall be made by using the naming form available from the District and include at least three letters of recommendation. Nominations should be submitted to the chief communications office by mail, email, or any other digital mechanism provided by the District. Supplemental materials such as news clippings and other printed resources may be submitted along with the nomination.
Selection Committee
The selection committee shall be comprised of at least two Board members appointed by the Board President, the site administrator (if identified), two parents from the attendance zone involved (if the facility is a school), and two parents from the District Improvement Committee. The committee shall be chaired by the Superintendent or designee.
The committee shall review all submitted names and supporting documentation and shall conduct background research to deter-mine whether the names meet the requirements of this policy.
The committee shall select a name to be recommended to the Board through decision-making consensus. Decision-making consensus is defined as the apparent preference after each committee member has had an opportunity to participate in the discussion.
Public Forum
The committee shall schedule a public forum to solicit input on the selected name and shall reconvene after the public meeting to consider the information received.
The public forum shall be held in a District facility near the location of the facility to be named or at the District's Education Support Complex.
Recommendation
If there is evidence of adequate support from the public for a specific name, or in the absence of credible opposition to the name, the committee shall submit the name to the Board for its consideration. If public support is not evident during the public forum, the committee may choose to consider another name.
Recommendation Process for Naming a Portion of a Facility
Except in circumstances where a portion of a facility may be named for a major donor, the Board may consider nominations to name a portion of a facility.
Nominations
A person who wishes to submit a name for consideration should identify the portion of the facility and provide a clear, concise explanation of why the name should be honored. Nominations shall be made by using the naming form available from the District and include at least three letters of recommendation. Nominations should be submitted to the Chief Communications Office by mail, email, or any other digital mechanism provided by the District. Supplemental materials such as news clippings and other printed resources may be submitted along with the nomination.
Recommendation
The Board shall review all submitted names that meet the criteria listed under Guidelines and may consider nominations. However, the Board is not required to act upon any submission. Should any Board member wish to act upon a nomination, two or more Board members or the Board President shall request the item to be placed on a Board agenda for consideration.
Signage Specifications and Costs for Naming a Portion of a Facility
Specifications for signage lettering and installation shall be standardized by facility type. Where applicable, signage costs associated with the naming of a portion of a facility shall be submitted by the Superintendent for the Board's consideration. Costs for dedications and other events/activities associated with the naming of a portion of a facility shall be assumed by the campus or facility impacted.
Recommendation Process for Programmatic Renaming
A facility or portion of a facility may be renamed based on a programmatic change if the new name would not affect the namesake of the facility or portion of the facility. This type of name change would only require the recommendation of the Superintendent's Cabinet. For example, if a library had been named after an individual, such as the John Doe Library, and the term for "library" changed to "media center," a recommendation could be made for the name to be changed to the John Doe Media Center.
