West Orange High relief-school naming process to begin next week

WEST ORANGE  If all goes as planned, the West Orange relief high school could have an official name, mascot and colors by October.

The naming process will begin the week of Aug. 29, when relief school Principal Doug Guthrie and staff will be bringing handouts to SunRidge and Bridgewater middle schools to be distributed during lunches. That same week, the high-school families and communities will receive a social-media blast through West Orange High School social media on where to pick up paper ballots and where to access the electronic survey. Connect Orange phone messages will also be sent with this information.

Surveys are to be submitted by Sept. 8, when they will be sorted and compiled. A second survey with the top five choices will be sent out Sept. 13, and this second round must be completed by Sept. 22. The top three choices will be submitted to Dr. Harold Border, area superintendent for Orange County Public Schools’ Southwest Learning Community.

Finally, the list will be submitted to the superintendent and the school board for final selection, with hopes of the name, mascot and colors being announced in October.

“I have started my weekly visits to SunRidge Middle School, Bridgewater Middle School and West Orange High School,” Guthrie said in an email statement. “I am very impressed with the students at all of these schools. The students were friendly and courteous, they asked excellent questions and had some wonderful suggestions. I look forward to returning to these schools each week.”

Contact Danielle Hendrix at [email protected].