Just moments after the Alpine School Board approved the name Cedar Ridge Elementary School Tuesday night for the new school in Cedar Hills, board president Marilyn Kofford asked members of the "Cedar Hills Elementary" naming committee to stand for recognition.
Several committee members and others in the audience commented that Kofford had just proved their point, that the school should have been named after its location. However, few people opposed the new name.Construction on the $6 million school began in October and is scheduled to be complete sometime this fall. Work will have to speed up for the school, located at 4501 W. Cedar Hills Drive, to be open by August.
The new school will relieve crowding at Central and Grove-crest elementary schools in Pleasant Grove. Many students now attending Manila Elementary School will also attend Cedar Ridge next year.
The naming committee last month recommended the names Cedar Hills, Cedar Ridge and Mahogany. The name most commonly suggested was Cedar Hills.
The same arguments made in most school-naming issues were again discussed for this school. Some said the school should be representative of all students, and since many of the school's 700 students will come from Pleasant Grove, a more neutral name is appropriate.
Others said the school should be named after its location because that's what people will call it anyway.
"It just seems logical to me that they'd name it after a location to make it easier," resident Jill Downs said.
Board member Linda Campbell, who cast the lone dissenting vote against the Cedar Ridge name, agreed. She said there's nothing wrong or intimidating about naming a school by location.
"I think that most kids who will be there in a few years will all be from Cedar Hills anyway," she said.
Board member Guy Fugal said sometimes parents make too much of the name issue and forget it is the students' school. He said whatever name is picked, students will accept it and adapt to it.
District officials have selected Steve Cherrington, principal at Windsor Elementary School, to be Cedar Ridge's first principal.