None of the 104 suggested names for George Fox Middle School received more than 50 percent of the votes cast by families of Northeast cluster students and by school staff in the first round of voting last week, so a second round of voting will be needed to determine a name to recommend to the Board of Education.
In all, 980 votes were cast for 65 suggested names. In accordance with previously announced procedures, the list of contenders has been narrowed to the top 10 vote-getters plus any ties. The following 11 names remain in contention (with the number of votes received in the first round in parentheses):
- Northeast Middle School (405)
- Stoney Creek Middle School (86)
- Green Haven Middle School (66)
- Pasadena Middle School (63)
- Havenwood Middle School (44)
- Fox Middle School (43)
- Fox Den Middle School (21)
- The Middle School (19)
- Malcom X Middle School (11)
- Sunset Middle School (11)
- Two Rivers Middle School (11)
A complete list of names receiving votes can be found here.
A second round of voting on a new name will be open for families of students who attend the six schools in the Northeast cluster and for staff members of George Fox Middle School from 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 27, 2021, through 5 p.m. on Friday, April 30, 2021. One vote will be allowed per student or employee ID number. Voting will be conducted electronically. Those eligible to vote will receive a link to the ballot by email.
The name receiving the highest number of votes will be forwarded to the Board of Education. The Board is scheduled to consider the naming recommendation in May.
Acting on a recommendation from a diverse committee of community members, parents, historians, and school system officials, the Board on March 17 unanimously voted to rename the school, which has borne the name of Anne Arundel County Public Schools’ first superintendent since it opened in 1949.
The vote came shortly after members of George Fox Middle School Historical Renaming Evaluation Committee delivered their report to the Board, which voted last July to form the panel following a discussion of comments attributed to Fox during a court case regarding equal pay for African-American teachers, something Fox opposed. Fox served as the superintendent from 1916 to 1946.
