Fight over Northeast's new name persists
As Classen School of Advanced Studies prepares to merge with Northeast Academy, alumni of the northeast Oklahoma City mid-high school are urging the school board to retain the name of the 83-year-old building.
Two members of the Oklahoma City Public Schools board have now expressed support for keeping Northeast in the school name.
“I stand with you all for the fight, if that's what's necessary, in order to do what is right, do what is equitable and to do what is fair,” said Ruth Veales, speaking at Monday's board meeting.
“Our children, the students of Northeast Academy, did not fail this district. This district failed Northeast Academy.”
As part of the district' s restructuring plan, Classen SAS high school will take over the Northeast Academy building, 3100 N Kelley, as 15 schools close and 17 are reconfigured across the school district, which is the state's largest. Classen SAS middle school will remain in its original building at 1901 N Ellison. Terry Fite, a 1971 graduate of Northeast Academy, was among the first classes to integrate at the school and said she appreciated the diversity.
Fife, whose daughter graduated from Classen SAS in 2011, said combining the names of the two schools would “go a long way in progress for the community.”
“I know the value of the education from Classen SAS — it's a world-class school,” she said to the board. “I think it will bring something to the neighborhood, but right now there has to be some, I think, compromise, and I know you recognize that. I think we have the opportunity
f or a small and significant win-win to have both names, Northeast Classen.”
Veales, who represents the northeast side of the district, said she would fight to keep the Northeast name from being “snuffed out.”
Board member Charles Henry is also against renaming the building and argued the board's previous votes on school consolidation have not included a change of Northeast's name to Classen SAS.
“I want to make it clear the name on the school right now is Northeast High School,” he said, drawing applause from the school's alumni that attended Monday's meeting.
District General Counsel Jessica Sherrill later disagreed with Henry, telling The Oklahoman the renaming was made official March 4. The board's unanimous vote to approve the district restructuring plan, known as Pathway to Greatness, renamed multiple schools, including Northeast Academy changing to Classen SAS, she said.
The board could reconsider the name of the school, though, if the board chairwoman or at least four members request to put the issue on a meeting agenda.
Sherrill said no one on the school board has asked to do this, yet.
Henry recounted the school's legacy and influence on local race relations, including a lawsuit over admissions to Northeast Academy that led to racial integration of Oklahoma City schools in the late 1960s.
Board member Mark Mann said he'd like to include Classen SA Spa rent sin the naming discussion.
“How is it any more fair to tell those kids that we're going to uproot your high school, and by the way we're taking your name off,” Mann said. “If you want to have a rational, informed, meaningful discussion, then you have to have parents at the table and you have to have people from Classen SAS at the table or it's not going to work.”