Dr. Michael Hinojosa
Cobb School Superintendent Michael Hinojosa told a business group that the new elementary school in Smyrna will be named Smyrna Elementary School.
“We got a recommendation from the committee to name it Smyrna Elementary,” Hinojosa told the Smyrna Division of the Cobb Chamber at its Sept. 13 meeting.
A 10-person name selection committee has held public forums this summer and asked for input on suggestions for names for the new school now under construction that will open for Fall 2013.
The new facility has been operating under the moniker of “Smyrna Replacement School” as it will replace Brown Elementary and take in some students from Argyle and Belmont Hills after redistricting. The 18-acre school site is adjacent to Campbell High School on a corner of the Belmont Development on Atlanta Road at Windy Hill. In his state of the city address in July, Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon said the obvious name was Smyrna Elementary.
Two other names were considered for the new school, including Jonquil Elementary and Marion Worley Mitchell Elementary. Ms. Mitchell, a native of Smyrna, taught 44 years in Cobb schools including Smyrna Elementary and Griffin Middle School. She was Principal at Mount Harmony (now Harmony Leland) and was Cobb County Teacher of the Year twice during her career. Retired from Cobb and began Covenant Christian School. Ms. Mitchell was active in Alpha Delta Kappa and Cobb County Teacher Association.
The Board is scheduled to vote on the recommendation Thursday, Sept. 27.
Construction should be complete in March, the superintendent said, and students will begin classes in August 2013.
“It will help out that corner of Smyrna,” he said.
