After numerous committee meetings, student polling and historical research, three new schools have set to be named. Discovery and Moorefield Station elementary schools and Trailside Middle School are set to open fall 2013.

But one student spoke before the Loudoun County School Board June 26 stating the names were unimaginative and wouldn’t inspire students.

“I challenge this Board to name the three new schools in a way that will inspire the students to aspire to something great. Let me start by comparison.  No single student I know aspires to be a bridge, ridge or trailside,” Caspar Placke, a student at Belmont Ridge Middle School said. “These are unimaginative, uninspiring and simply dreadful choices in school names. To name by geography is so unimaginative that it makes one question whether the previous Boards even cared. This Board will spend hundreds of millions of dollars on schools that no one even bothers to name other than by a bridge, ridge or trail.”

Placke suggested to the Board come up with names that would spark interest within students’ imagination.

“While the name of Discovery is slightly better than a bridge, ride or trail, it too is uninspiring. To put it clearly, no student aspires to be a space rocket. On the other hand, a John Glenn or Neil Armstrong elementary school would encourage elementary school students to think about space exploration, courage, duty and heroism,” he said. “ By comparison, Discovery school inspires what? A student to be a rocket ship?  I believe that this Board can do much better in naming of schools after inspiring people that students can aspire to model themselves after.” 

MS-6, proposed to be named Trailside Middle School, will be adjacent to Newton-Lee Elementary School in Ashburn off Gloucester Parkway. ES-16, proposed to be named Moorefield Station Elementary School, will be in the Moorefield Station community. ES-22, proposed to be named Discovery Elementary School, will be in the Farmwell area of Ashburn.

“We have to ask you to yield the floor for the next speaker,” Chairman Eric Hornberger (Ashburn) told the student because of the number of speakers and time constraints.

Hornberger motioned to have the new MS-6 to be named Trailside.

“Despite the great speech this meeting, there has been a committee that has met numerous times that had several students,” Hornberger said. “I understand that trailside sounds simply simple but the committee considered several names of people in Loudoun County.”

Hornberger said Trailside was named to a portray a trail through history and said more than 600 people overwhelmingly supported the name.

“I originally did not care for the name,” Tom Reed admitted, pointing out once it was explained that the name was to signify all the trails through Loudoun and their historical significance he got on board.

One debate was over ES-16 with regards to naming the school after Dr. Claude Moore, but the vote was placed on hold to gather more public input on the name.

“I think there was overwhelming consensus for Dr. Claude Moore,” Jeff Morse (Dulles) said, stating that more residents felt Moorefield Station was a better choice. “Tonight we are going to honor Dr. Claude Moore. All three selected by the committee honor Dr. Claude Moore.”

Morse said Moorefield Station had more of an accepting consensus.

“I think the name of Moorefield Station epitomizes one thing in Loudoun and that’s Metro. If Metro doesn’t come then it’s a school to nowhere,” Reed said. He also said he wishes to honor Moore by naming the school after him.

Vice chair Jill Turgeon (Blue Ridge) said the school’s name gives the community an identity and something to pride themselves on. Hornberger also suggested dropping the name station to avoid confusion of any Metro reference and still honor Moore and the community surrounding it - which ultimately failed.

The board voted unanimously to name MS-6 Trailside Middle School and voted 7-2 to name ES-16 Moorefield Station Elementary School, with Reed and Brenda Sheridan (Sterling) dissenting. Discovery Elementary School was approved in a previous meeting.