To name new facilities after a living or deceased individual is a question that Kingsville Independent School District board members would like to resolve in the near future.

The local policy on this issue was reviewed at the last regular school board meeting. KISD board members agreed they would seek information from other school districts that are comparable to KISD.

Trustee Joe R. Trevino said he had been approached by some community members to name facilities after living people.

The current policy states that facilities can only be named after deceased people

“I think the ‘deceased’ should be deleted,” Trevino said.

Trustee Coronado Garza said he believed the policy should include “living or deceased.” This suggestion seemed agreeable with the other trustees.

Larry E. Garza, KISD, board member said they had to be cautious because there had been no policy on the naming of facilities until Dec. 2008 when it had been approved. He said any local policy could be reviewed and changed. Larry E. Garza said they needed to set some parameters, not as a hindrance, in the future. He suggested reviewing other policies from school districts comparable to KISD.

The school board president also suggested that the Texas Association of School Board, TASB, also be contacted for the legal aspects.

The local KISD policy in naming facilities states: “The Board has complete authority to name any facility, property or portion thereof. The guidelines state that all schools shall be named for deceased, distinguished historical personages (local, state, and national heroes or heroines); deceased, distinguished educators (local, state, or national); deceased, prominent local citizens.

Other guidelines include local, state, or national historical events or places; the street on which the school is located, the subdivision surrounding it, or other descriptive geographical location or building function.

Facilities to be named shall be separate structures or campuses, and identifying existing facilities and campuses shall not be fragmented by renaming portions of those structures or campuses.

The board shall receive suggestions in the naming of schools.

Larry E. Garza also said that a great honor of naming a facility could been highly emotional and the name would have to meet the standards of the community.