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'Memorial Elementary' Is Name Proposed For New School

By MARC VALERO | Highlands Today

Published: October 19, 2007

SEBRING — The district's newest elementary school is being built on Memorial Drive a short distance north and across the road from a memorial garden, so "Memorial Elementary" would be an obvious name choice.

Superintendent Wally Cox has another reason for the "Memorial" moniker for the district's 17th school, which is currently designated as Elementary "A."

"I would like to dedicate Memorial Elementary in honor of our veterans," Cox stated in a memo to the school board members. "I believe it would be a great honor to the many veterans who live in Highlands County and to all veterans who have sacrificed much to give us the freedoms that we enjoy each and every day.

"Along with naming the school Memorial Elementary, it seems appropriate that red, white and blue be considered as the school's colors," Cox said.

School Board Member Richard Norris said, "It sounds appropriate to me. It sounds better than Elementary School 'A.'"

School Board Member Wally Randall said, "When we first started this project, the first name that came to my mind was 'Memorial' and in light of the cemetery and everything like that I wouldn't even mind seeing them named the 'Patriots' or something like that.

"But, I think 'Memorial' is a fine name," he said.

School Board Member Andy Tuck also supports the "Memorial" name.

"I think that's a wonderful name," he said. "It's because of our veterans that we are allowed to name our schools whatever we want. So I don't think I could think of a better name."

The school board, at its Oct. 23 meeting, will consider approval of naming the new school "Memorial
Elementary."

The school is being built on 20 acres on the west side of Memorial Drive, north of Ravine Road and north of Lakeview Memorial Gardens.

The design of the 114,000 square-foot building features 38 classrooms: seven kindergarten, 19 primary and 12 intermediate.

With an estimated cost of $16.5 million, the school is being built by A.D. Morgan Corp. with plans to open for classes for the start of the 2008-09 school year.

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