Palatine School Board Postpones Renaming Lake Louise Elementary

PALATINE, IL — The renaming of Lake Louise Elementary school is on hold after parents pushed back against the idea on social media.

School board members at Community Consolidated School District 15 proposed changing the name to Scott B. Thompson Elementary School. The proposal was designed to honor outgoing Superintendent Scott Thompson, who is set to retire June 30. The change would go into effect July 1.

But parents decried the idea on a Facebook page that community members created to discuss issues surrounding the school district.

“Is there a measuring stick long enough to measure the ego of someone who wants their name on a school?” one commenter asked.

Residents questioned the lack of public notice and input, and wondered why the board would make the renaming a priority over other, pressing issues, such as rezoning school boundaries. Others also questioned the propriety of naming a school after a sitting superintendent.

One community member, Miguel Ruiz Herrera, asked the board at its Jan. 9 meeting to delay its decision so that it could address these concerns. He suggested they also look at the diversity within the school and to come up with a name that better reflected the students who attend it

Board members have said that they proposed the name change to pay homage to Thompson, who is retiring after nine years in the role. District spokeswoman Morgan Delack also told the Chicago Tribune that the idea would be in line with the district’s tradition of renaming buildings after former teachers and administrators.

However, at least three other superintendents have not had buildings named after them, she said.

The board decided to postpone a vote to seek public opinion and to estimate the cost associated with the name change.

Photo via Patch archives.