Scituate school naming task force reopens nominations; community invited to submit names by July 30

The Scituate School Committee task force charged with naming the new elementary school reconvened June 2 and invited community nominations with a July 30 deadline.

Task-force members reviewed prior research, student input and guidance from the historical commission and agreed on a set of criteria for new nominations: the candidate should have an evident, verifiable contribution to Scituate, should generally be deceased (per local practice), and the name should be pronounceable for elementary students and consistent with educational values.

The task force said it will reconvene the second week of August to vet submitted nominations and narrow the field to two names for the committee's consideration in September. The project architect has requested the final school name in time for Columbus Day weekend to meet fabrication deadlines for signage and ordered materials.

A handful of names were cited as community suggestions at the meeting: Sergeant Michael J. Kelly (a fallen service member, 2005), Claire McDana (longtime environmental volunteer and columnist) and Daniel Ward (local industry founder). Task-force members stressed that submission materials should include a one- to two-paragraph rationale and citations or verifiable historical sources.

Next steps: The task force will publish the criteria and a nomination form to the community; nominations are due July 30 and the task force will return two finalists in August for final committee action in September.