School District U-46 is officially taking suggestions for the name of the new middle school being built in Elgin.
“(Tuesday) we will be officially launching the nomination process,” Chief of Staff Brian Lindholm said Monday during the school board meeting.
U-46 broke ground on the 193,000-square foot, $110 million middle school at 2604 Rohrssen Road in April. It’s adjacent to Hilltop Elementary School and will house up to 1,125 sixth-, seventh and eighth-grade students when it opens for the 2027-28 school year.
The district has reached out to residents and students who live near the new campus to seek their input on the name, Lindholm said, and plans to contact families with children who will be enrolled there. The effort is open to the public and will also be promoted on social media and the U-46 website.
The form to submit a name is available at info.u-46.org/schoolname. A board policy governing the naming of public school facilities is available at www.boardpolicyonline.com/?b=sd_u46&s=1307808.
“The policy allows for names that reflect community values or honors individuals who have made significant contributions to society or education,” a news release on the naming process said.
Name suggestions are due by Friday, Sept. 19.
Staff will hold a town hall meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4, at Hilltop to discuss the submitted names before making a recommendation to the school board at the Oct. 20 meeting. If all goes as planned, the board could vote on it on Nov. 3.
“Even though it doesn’t open for a couple years, (the name) is needed to get the school established with the State Board of Education, to get school codes assigned,” Lindholm said.
The name also will help in getting students assigned to Infinite Campus, the district’s Student Information System, and in ordering signage and other branding elements, he said.
As for the current new school year, Deputy Superintendent of Instruction Lela Majstorovic told the board that more than 33,000 students are enrolled for the 2025-26 school year. Classes started Aug. 11, with preschool programs beginning Monday, Majstorovic said.
“There’s been a lot of great, positive energy across the entire district,” she said.
One popular change has been the addition of chicken wings to the lunch menu at secondary schools, Assistant Superintendent of Operations Sheila Downs told the board.
“It is no surprise they were a huge hit at the secondaries with the three sauces, the teriyaki, the Buffalo and the barbecue. That’s a really big deal there,” Downs said.
She added that meal participation numbers continue to increase, both at the new Hawk Hollow Elementary School in Bartlett and districtwide.
Summer maintenance and renovation projects were finished on time and on budget, Downs also said.
“There was a lot of buzz in the schools about their renovated spaces,” she said.
Superintendent Suzanne Johnson thanked staff, board, community, families and students for their work in being ready for the new school year.
“It’s always wonderful to see our students back in our buildings, in our classrooms, activities and learning experiences,” Johnson said “Thank you so much for the opportunity and for the opportunity to be a leader in U-46 with our distinguished team members. I appreciate it.”
