WORTHINGTON -- The building formerly known as West Elementary may soon receive a new name, the Operations Committee of the District 518 Board of Education decided Tuesday.
"A lot of times it's still called 'the West building,' and sometimes 'the Collaborative,'" said Jerry Fiola, director of District 518 Community Education. "People just don't know how to refer to it."
The committee agreed to have Fiola pursue the matter and compile a list of possible names for the building before any decision is made.
The building is sometimes called by the name of one of the many programs located in it, such as the Nobles County Integration Collaborative, Community Education or the Area Learning Center. The building's name may confuse community newcomers who aren't aware of its history as an elementary school or who don't know all the programs the building contains, committee members said.
"We'd like to give it its own identity," Fiola said.
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One possible name for the building is West Community Learning Center, which would tie the building's history in with its new purpose.
Another possibility is naming the building after a person.
"If you want to name it after somebody, that might put a little positive spin on it," Superintendent John Landgaard said.
The committee also agreed to add signage to the interior of the West building that would give visitors a better idea of locations for each program. Currently, the only clear sign in the building is for the Nobles County Integration Collaborative.
In other business Tuesday, the committee:
Discussed changing District 518's goals. Committee member Linden Olson wanted the goals to be more specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely than the district's current set of goals, but then found each building would be expected to determine specific objectives aligning with the more-general district goals.
The district's goals, approved without change by the Instructional Committee and the Operations Committee, still need to be approved by the board as a whole before they go into effect.
Agreed to amend the school's budget to address changes in revenue and changes in expenses. Director of Management Services David Skog explained school districts often make budget amendments during the school year to align their budgets with actual spending and expenses. The amending helps ensure a positive audit at the end of the fiscal year.
The revision showed a change in revenue from $23,615,512 to $23,540,025, and a change in expenditures from $22,435,579 to $22,549,053.
