An Erie school would keep the name of one man and still honor another under a recommendation submitted to the School Board.
The agenda for the Erie School Board’s May 6 meeting includes an update from the Harding School name review committee. The committee has been evaluating a proposal to change Harding Elementary, which was named for a U.S. president, to John Boyd Elementary School.
A resolution on the agenda would make sure that Boyd is honored while maintaining the name the school has carried for more than a century. The board is likely to discuss the matter May 6 and vote on it at a May 13 meeting.
The resolution, if approved, would affirm “the continued use of the name ‘Harding Elementary School,’ recognizing its longstanding significance to the school community and its identity as a place of belonging for students and families.”
Harding School at West Eighth Street and Lincoln Avenue was built in 1924, opened in 1925 and has undergone renovations and additions since then.
How would Boyd be honored?
Officials have said that a prior School Board approved a resolution in 2005 to name the Harding Elementary School library in honor of Col. John Boyd. However, that was never implemented.
The name review committee is recommending that the school district administration formally designate the library at Harding, 820 Lincoln Ave., in honor of Boyd and that the recognition may include signage, a commemorative plaque and educational materials highlighting Boyd’s life, achievements and connection to the school and community.
Boyd lived on Lincoln Avenue and attended Harding School. He served in the U.S. Air Force, rising to the rank of colonel, flew fighter jets during the Korean War and studied air combat tactics and fighter jet design. He died in 1997.
Warren G. Harding was an Ohio native who served as president of the United States from 1921 until his death in 1923. His namesake school opened in 1925.
Community input
One school district survey conducted about the potential renaming received 71 responses, with 69 opposing a name change. Another survey found that for many students, “Harding” is not a person but rather an identity tied to school spirit and peer community.
According to the proposed resolution, keeping the Harding name and recognizing Boyd with the library both honors his legacy and “respects the voice and values of the Harding school community.”
The May 6 committee of the whole meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the board room at the school district administration building, 1910 Sassafras St. The regular meeting is scheduled for May 13 at 6 p.m. in the same location. Meetings also can be viewed via the school district’s YouTube channel.
Dana Massing can be reached at dmassing@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie School Board considers Harding School name change to John Boyd