School district seeks suggestions from public on renaming of District Office

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Alachua County Public Schools is seeking suggestions from the public for a new name for the District Office, the School Board’s headquarters. Two public meetings are scheduled to take input on a new name. The first will be Thursday, June 6, and the second will be on June 27, both at 6 p.m. in the Boardroom of the District Office. People who would like to suggest a new name to the committee working on this can come and speak for three minutes. They can also call in at (352) 955-7646 to give their input.

Residents can also go to the link below to offer suggestions: 

https://forms.gle/REeaTB3tL9qG1xDk6

Under Board policy, proposed names should be 1) descriptive of the geographical area in which the building is located or 2) the name of a deceased person who has made a significant contribution to education, locally or in general, or to the well-being of the local, national, or international community.

History of the District Office

The building was originally called the Gainesville Graded and High School when it opened at the turn of the 20th century and served students in all grades; it was renamed Kirby Smith Elementary School when it became an elementary school a couple of decades later. The building closed as a school in 1977 and became the district’s administrative building in 1981. While the building was officially designated with the state as “District Office,” the name “Kirby Smith” was commonly used until 2017. At that time, the lettering on the building was removed and a new digital sign was installed.