Leander ISD’s 27th elementary school and ninth middle school are expected be named Dec. 13. The new elementary school, opening for the 2019-20 school year, will be located in the Larkspur neighborhood. The middle school will be across from Glenn High School and open in 2020. LISD accepted public comments for the naming of the schools from Oct. 10-Nov. 14. Trustees submitted a number of names for consideration and are scheduled to decide on the names at their meeting Dec. 13, according to meeting documents.

Elementary names

For Elementary No. 27 there are nine names on the shortlist to be considered by the board, according to LISD documents. Six trustees submitted the geographical location of the school, Larkspur, as an option for its name. Two trustees submitted the name Carol North for consideration. North taught at elementary schools in LISD for 22 years, according to the city of Leander’s website. North died in 2016. Another name under consideration is Bill Pickett after the cowboy who was a significant African-American historical figure in Williamson County and performed in rodeos across North America and England. The name Fred Rogers is on the table. The man known as “Mister Rogers” created educational television shows for children. Another possible namesake for the school is Harriet Cluck. Cluck was among the founders of Cedar Park and has been called the “Queen of the Chisholm Trail,” according to the city of Cedar Park’s website. Nancy Tarvin was the executive director of elementary curriculum for LISD and retired in the 2016 school year after working for 25 years in the district. Her name is also on the list. She died in 2017. River Tracks and Fossil Creek are also slated for consideration. The nearby San Gabriel River has dinosaur tracks in its riverbed.

Middle school names

Two trustees suggested the name San Gabriel, according to meeting documents. The middle school will be located north of San Gabriel Parkway and south of the south fork of the San Gabriel River. Benbrook or Benbrook Ranch are two possible names submitted by trustees for the upcoming middle school, according to district documents. Benbrook Ranch is the name of a Leander neighborhood near the future school. A possible namesake could be Eric Haug, who previously served as an area superintendent for the district, according to LISD’s website. He retired in 2017. Former President George H.W. Bush’s name is on the list for consideration. Bush died in late November. Grace Danforth was a Texan physician and suffragist in the late 19th century, according to the Texas State Historical Association. Danforth is on the list of names for consideration. The school could also be named after U.S. Army Specialist First Class Matthew Morris. Morris was from Cedar Park and died in 2008 while serving in Iraq, according to the city of Cedar Park’s website. A statue of Morris stands in Cedar Park Veterans Memorial. Stacy Danielson was the dance and drill team director at Cedar Park High School and died in July. Her name is on the list of those to be considered for the middle school.