TEMPE, AZ — Leaders in the Tempe Elementary School District are holding the first public meeting on Thursday to discuss possibly renaming three schools.
The meetings come after it was discovered the schools and other city landmarks were named after former community leaders who were also members of the Ku Klux Klan.
The meetings are open to the public. You do not need to have a child who is a student at one of the schools to attend.
An informational session at Hudson Elementary School will be Thursday at 5:30 p.m. There will also be a session at Gililland Middle School on Feb. 23 at 5:30 p.m., and Laird School on Feb. 24 at 5:30 p.m.
You can also take a survey online if you can't attend one of the meetings.
The district is in the process of creating committees made up of parents, students, alumni, community members, and employees. The committees will then present all feedback and their opinion to the school board on March 16. That is when the board will vote on whether to move forward with the renaming process.
"I know as a long-time history teacher that this is a very important conversation we should be having at this point in time," said Board President Charlotte Winsor at a recent meeting.
A district spokesperson says no decision has been made, which is why the public's feedback is important. It is ultimately up to the school board to decide whether to move forward with the renaming process.
