Future Buckeye school to be named in honor of John S. McCain III
A future Buckeye Elementary school will go by “John S. McCain III Elementary School” after the district’s school board voted to name the school after the late Arizona senator.
It appears to be the first confirmed plan for an Arizona school to use McCain’s name. The district got approval from Cindy McCain for the name in September. The elementary school is expected to open in 2020 or 2021, according to a tweet from the Buckeye Elementary School District.
Buckeye, a growing district on the outskirts of Maricopa County, is planning to open a few schools over the next decade, Assistant Superintendent Mike Lee said.
The idea to name one of the schools after McCain came shortly after the senator died.
Waiting for a meeting to begin, administrators started talking about McCain’s impact on the state. Then, an idea: Buckeye was planning to build an elementary school. Why not name it after McCain?
The plan came together quickly, Lee said. Administrators wrote a letter to the McCain family. Superintendent Kristi Sandvik talked on the phone with Cindy McCain, who later gave the district her blessing.
“Our residents, including students and staff, continue to mourn the loss of Senator McCain, yet we now have a rare opportunity to honor him in a lasting and meaningful way,” Sandvik said in a press release.
John S. McCain III Elementary will be the district’s eighth elementary school. Buckeye Elementary School District serves more than 5,500 students. A site for the elementary hasn’t been picked out, but will be “centrally located,” Assistant Superintendent Nate Bowler said.
Cindy McCain not only gave her approval, but told the district she looked forward to being involved, Lee said.
District officials have discussed how elements of McCain’s life can be woven into the future school.
“We saw this as more than naming a school, about how could the theme of the senator’s life flesh out in the school itself,” Lee said.
The school is not the only Phoenixarea landmark to carry McCain’s name. In December 2017, the Phoenix City Council approved naming Terminal 3 after McCain.
Buckeye has no apparent direct connection to McCain, but is a short distance from Luke Air Force Base.
“Buckeye is the proud home to numerous veterans and has close affiliations with nearby Luke Air Force Base, and the community is proud of these connections,” Sandvik said in the release. “Much like the Senator, the story of Buckeye is one of service to others.”
“We saw this as more than naming a school, about how could the theme of the senator’s life flesh out in the school itself.” Mike Lee Assistant superintendent, Buckeye Elementary School District