Maplewood To Vote On School Name Change From 'Enslaver' Jefferson

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South-Orange Maplewood school board is set to vote Monday night on a resolution to consider other names for the district's Jefferson Elementary School, saying the school "bears the name of an enslaver committed to upholding the institution of slavery."

The resolution would direct Superintendent Ronald Taylor or a designee to work with the students to find a new name by June 30 of next year, and change the name by fall 2022.

The resolution states:

WHEREAS, the Board of Education may consider a change in the name of an existing school or facility to ensure and model an inclusive, welcoming and respectful learning environment; and

WHEREAS, naming a school for a person is to honor that person and to hold them up as a role
model for students; and

WHEREAS, Jefferson Elementary School, located at 518 Ridgewood Road in Maplewood, New Jersey, bears the name of an enslaver committed to upholding the institution of slavery; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Education will no longer hold up an enslaver as a role model for students of the South Orange Maplewood School District; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Education desires to adopt a new name for Jefferson Elementary School, to be selected with the involvement of Jefferson Elementary School students and the District’s student community at large; therefore

BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Education directs the Superintendent or a designee to work with the students of Jefferson Elementary School to seek input from the District’s student community to propose a new name for that school to the Board of Education by June 30, 2022, so that the Board may vote on the adoption of such name to take effect commencing with the 2022-2023 school year.

Read about Jefferson and slavery here or here.

In Virginia, a school board voted to change the name of a school named after Jefferson last year.

The district announced its fall plans earlier this month. READ MORE: Masks Required And No Remote Option For Maplewood Back To School

Meeting Details

The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. It can be viewed live here or here, or attended by phone using these links:

Webex Link: Webex Link

Event Number: 179 557 8518

Event Password: Orange20Maple (67264320 from phones)

Telephone Number: 408-418-9388

The rest of the agenda and more information is here.

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