Thomas Jefferson Middle School’s new name may be Ezekiel Gillespie or Maya Angelou. The MMSD Board of Education votes Feb. 27. Learn more, including how you can register to speak or submit written comments.
Jefferson Middle School Renaming Process
February 27, 2023 Update:
The MMSD Board of Education voted to rename Thomas Jefferson Middle School to Ezekiel Gillespie Middle School, by a vote of 6-0, with Nicki Vander Meulen recused. The new name goes into effect beginning with the 2023-2024 school year.
Background:
The Thomas Jefferson Middle School community made a formal request of the Superintendent and the Board of Education at the Regular BOE meeting on February 28, 2022, to begin the process for renaming the school. No specific proposal was advanced.
This web page has been created to keep the community informed of our work as we progress through the renaming process.
The first step was to seek official proposals from the community that meet the criteria found in Board Policy 6700, titled “Proposal for Naming a MMSD Building or Facility.” The window for submitting proposals closed on April 8, 2022.
We will be using typical communication channels to keep our school community and district informed -- including our newsletters, website, Facebook and Twitter, etc.
Targeted communications will be sent to the Jefferson student body and the Jefferson community at large, including members of the Parent-Teacher-Student Organization.
Meeting Notice
Ad Hoc Committee meeting dates/times, agendas, and minutes are published on BoardDocs.
View meeting agendas and notices
Meetings are also broadcast on the Board of Education's YouTube channel.
Renaming Proposals
The timeframe to submit renaming proposals was March 7 through April 8, 2022. During that time period, 42 proposals were submitted. You can review all submissions at BoardDocs. The Board of Education vote on February 27, 2023, to rename the school to Ezekiel Gillespie Middle School.
Recent Updates
The Citizens’ Ad Hoc Committee for Renaming Jefferson Middle School met on Tuesday, Nov. 22. A public hearing is scheduled for Dec. 6 on the four remaining naming proposals.
The Citizens’ Ad Hoc Committee for Renaming Jefferson Middle School met on Tuesday, Nov. 8. The meeting agenda is available via BoardDocs, and the meeting was streamed on YouTube.
Public Input
Public input will continue through this web page for the entire process. Meetings of the Ad Hoc Committee will be publicly noticed and broadcast via the MMSD Board of Education YouTube channel in the same way that all other open Board meetings are shared.