Princeton Community Invited To Vote On Middle School Name

PRINCETON, NJ — On Tuesday, Princeton Public Schools (PPS) invited the community to vote for a new name for the Princeton Unified Middle School (PUMS), formerly known as John Witherspoon Middle School.

Last summer, the Board of Education voted to remove John Witherspoon’s name from the school due to his history of owning slaves.

The board also felt that removing Witherspoon’s name would be a symbolic first step towards positive change and promoting social justice and antiracism.

PPS has taken possible name suggestions from students and community members.

Over the past few months, the school district actively engaged students in discussions with the purpose of developing name recommendations.

"I am grateful to our students for their hard work. To have middle and high school students actively engaged in the research and the dialogue is a powerful lesson in civics," Jason Burr, principal of Princeton Unified Middle School said in a statement.

More than 600 students at PUMS recently viewed video projects created by 8th grade civics students that advocate for possible new names.

The PUMS students have now voted on their preferred names. The ten finalists are listed below. You can see the student videos here.

After the community votes, a follow-up vote for middle school students is scheduled in April. A community discussion or forum is also being discussed.

The Board of Education will be presented with several possible names, most likely in June. They will select a new name by June 30.

Here’s the list of names:

• Albert Einstein Middle School
• Elizabeth Stockton Middle School
• John Lewis Middle School
• Michelle Obama Middle School
• Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Nation Middle School
• Paul Robeson Middle School
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg Middle School
• Shirley Satterfield Middle School
• Princeton Community School
• Walnut Lane Middle School

Voting is live now. You can click here to cast your vote.