New Names for Three Schools in Poughkeepsie

The Poughkeepsie city school board has announced that three schools in the city have been renamed after Latino and African American pioneers.

After much discussion and debate, the Poughkeepsie city school board recently announced that they have approved name changes at three of the six elementary school buildings in Poughkeepsie, New York. Three Poughkeepsie City School District buildings will be renamed for historic figures of national importance who can serve as inspiration for students.

Schools Change Names in Poughkeepsie, New York

The board made the announcement confirming that three Poughkeepsie City School District buildings will be renamed for historic figures of national importance who can serve as inspiration for students. The Samuel F.B. Morse elementary school, at 101 Mansion Street, Poughkeepsie will be called Sojourner Truth elementary, Gov. George Clinton Elementary School at 100 Montgomery St, Poughkeepsie will be renamed Roberto Clemente Elementary School, and the Christopher Columbus School which currently serves as the district administration building, at 12 S Perry St, Poughkeepsie, will become the Jane Bolin Elementary School.

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All three of the new namesakes "broke barriers, stood up for human rights and conveyed values of decency, resilience and achievement. Two of them were from Poughkeepsie and the Hudson Valley, and another has been a hero for the Latino and Afro-Caribbean communities for decades," according to the Poughkeepsie City School District.

How Were The New Names Selected?

The Board of Education approved the new names last week, putting an end to a multi-year "process" that had residents and school officials investigate the namesakes of each of its six elementary school buildings. The Ad-Hoc Committee Building Names Study Group was tasked with evaluating the six building namesakes and looked at how each of their actions and examples aligned with the values the district currently holds, along with input from the community.

In its report, they explained their rationale for recommending which building namesakes should stay intact, including George W. Krieger, William W. Smith and Charles B. Warring. They also explained their reasoning for suggesting the new names. You can read the full report here.

When Will Poughkeepsie Schools Begin Using New Names?

The new names are subject to state Education Department approval and are expected to be in use for the 2025-26 school year. Each of the schools will have new signage installed to replace the old signs when approval is granted.