Names recommended for new schools

TBELOIT -- A committee has recommended new names to go along with the new buildings that will replace Knox and Damascus elementaries in the West Branch Local School District.
The district will erect three new elementary buildings: one each where Knox and Damascus stand, and one near the high school. The last will replace Beloit elementary. All three will house kindergarten through fifth grade. The district is also building a fourth school, to house grades six through eight.
Earlier this year, the school board picked a 14-person committee, made up of school employees and district residents, to submit two suggested names for each of the new schools. The board will make the final decision.
Proposed names
The suggested names reflect either the location of the schools or one of the goals and values of the district. The name suggestions based on location are West Branch South Elementary (Knox), West Branch Central Elementary (Beloit) and West Branch East Elementary (Damascus). Those based on values and goals are Unity (Knox), Concord (Beloit) and Heritage (Damascus).
Despite its instruction to come up with two names for each building, the committee came up with only one for the sixth through eighth grade building: West Branch Middle School. No reason was given for coming up with only one suggestion.
The board had suggested to the committee that none of the buildings be named for a person. The committee decided that names of individuals or names of retired buildings, such as the Maple Ridge and Goshen Center schools that will be closed, could be reserved for parts of buildings such as media centers, gyms or hallways.