They said NO-bama.
A proposal to change the name of a Long Island public school to Barack Obama Elementary was scrapped this week after running into fierce public opposition.
Cristobal Stewart, a trustee of the school district in Valley Stream, first broached the idea of renaming the Clear Stream Avenue Elementary School in November to commemorate Obama’s electoral triumph.
But the plan was met with loud resistance at a Nov. 24 hearing. Town residents and parents argued that the existing name, in place since 1924, represented a long and proud tradition that shouldn’t be tinkered with.
Stewart argued with several people during the heated gathering and insisted that many parents in the ethnically diverse school supported the plan.
But he abandoned the campaign Monday during another public hearing that drew 70 people.
“We listened, we discussed it, we decided against it,” said board member Elise Antonelli. “It’s not happening.
“Clear Stream Avenue School has a strong history and tradition.”
But the issue still roiled parents at the school this week.
“I don’t see why people have a problem with changing the name,” said parent Jose Santos. “Sometimes you need change. This is a historic event and I think it would be a good idea.”
But others said that there was no need for change. “I like it as it is,” said Lena Taverez, a parent of an 8-year-old girl. “The name is part of Valley Stream, it signifies a lot.”
In November, the Ludlum Elementary School in Hempstead became the nation’s first school to adopt Obama’s name.