It could be the Capital City school district, the Norte Del Rio school district or the Twin Rivers school district.
Or it could be the school district with a name you suggest.
For the next six days, the board of a new Sacramento school district is accepting suggestions from the public on what the district should be called.
The new K-12 district is being formed by the merger of the Grant Joint Union High School District and the Rio Linda Union, Del Paso Heights and North Sacramento elementary districts. Voters approved the unification in a historic election last month. The new district becomes effective on July 1.
The only criterion for the new district's name is that it not be the name of any of the four existing districts that are merging, said Frank Porter, interim superintendent of the as yet unnamed district.
"The direction is that it's a new neutral name," Porter said.
"We're building a brand-new school district, and this board and myself would like to hear from the community. That's what will guide us."
School officials have received more than 100 suggestions so far. Among the most frequently suggested names: Capital City, McClellan, Norte Del Rio, North Area, North Del Rio, North Valley, River City and Twin Rivers.
The school district will accept suggestions through Jan. 4. Officials will tally the results and share them with the seven school board members. Each school board member will be asked to choose their top two names. From those, they are supposed to settle on a name at the Jan. 8 board meeting.
Board member Michelle Rivas said she doesn't have a name in mind. "I'm just anxious to see what names come in from the community," she said.
In the weeks after the board chooses a name, the district will select a motto and a logo, Porter said.
Since the board of the new district began meeting in early December, they have hired four top staff members:
• Porter, who was superintendent of the Rio Linda district, is interim superintendent of the new district.
• Ramona Bishop, Del Paso Heights superintendent, will serve as interim associate superintendent for the new district. She will oversee curriculum and achievement.
• Patty Smart, North Sacramento superintendent, will be the new district's interim associate superintendent in charge of human resources.
• Rob Ball, Rio Linda's associate superintendent, will serve as interim chief business officer of the new unified district.
Call The Bee's Laurel Rosenhall, (916) 321-1083.
