Langston Hughes appears the front-runner as a name for Lawrence's elementary school now under construction.
Jeff Southard takes a daily walk past a small plaque on Alabama Street honoring the childhood home of Langston Hughes.
Southard believes it's time to put the late poet's name in big, bold letters on the front of the Lawrence school district's new $6.7 million elementary school.
"It's a chance for the school board to recognize someone who ... went on to great things," Southard told school board members Monday night.
The board conducted a 30-minute public session to assess community opinion on names for the school under construction on West 15th Street. An official board vote on the name is scheduled for Sept. 27.
Marci Toalson of Lawrence suggested Freedom Trail School. That would acknowledge this area's role in the Underground Railroad.
"Regardless of whether Freedom Trail is historically correct, everybody has an idea of what it means," Toalson said.
A committee forwarded to the school board a list of four finalists: Hughes, Kanwaka, Barber, Meadowlark.
Board member Austin Turney said he was concerned about Kanwaka, which is the name of the township in which the school will be located.
"I foresee that in time we will be building a school that is more into that township. I'd like to reserve that for the future," he said.
Thomas Barber was a Free Stater murdered in 1855 near the construction site. Some board members thought the name Barber School could generate jokes about students attending a barbering school.
"We would not name it the Barber School," board member Mary Loveland said. "It would be the Thomas Barber School."
Meadowlark was the most popular name submitted by the public during the summer. Many listed it because they consider the creature the official state bird.
Stan Roth, a former Free State High biology teacher, said there was confusion about the bird. Most meadowlarks in this part of the state are Eastern Meadowlarks. The state bird is the Western Meadowlark.
"It's rare in Douglas County," he said.
-- Tim Carpenter's phone message number is 832-7155. His e-mail address is tcarpenter@ljworld.com.
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