School Renaming Process

Background

Over the past several years, the Board of Education of Charles County has received requests to rename schools.
In 2023, the Board revised its school name policy (Policy 7230) to include a process to follow regarding the renaming of a school or facility.
In April –June 2024, several members from the community spoke during public forum to request that the Board consider renaming Indian Head Elementary School.
In January 2025, the Board received a presentation from staff about the history of the naming of Indian Head Elementary School. Following the process outlined in Policy 7230, the Board requested community engagement to assess interest in a possible renaming of the school.

Purpose

Prior to deciding whether to rename Indian Head Elementary School, the Board requested the Indian Head community be provided with opportunities to share feedback about possibly renaming the school.

Excerpt from Policy 7230:
The Board may not vote on the decision to rename a school until holding at least three intervening Board meetings after notification to the specific school community. The Superintendent shall implement a process for developing recommendations to the Board on the new name of the school facility.

Community Engagement Timeline

March 27 thru April 11, 2025
- Survey for students (grades 4 and 5 only), staff, parents and community.
March 27 at 6 p.m.
- Virtual Parent/Community Meeting.
March 28
- Staff Engagement.
April 7 at 6 p.m.
- In-person Parent/Community Meeting at Indian Head Elementary School.
April 10
- Student presentation and surveys.
May/June
- Presentation to the Board of Education.

Community Engagement

The March 27, 2025 virtual meeting recording and presentation are available below. Please complete the survey to provide your feedback on the possible renaming of Indian Head Elementary School.

Meeting Recording

Meeting Presentation

Community Feedback Survey

Survey

School Renaming Overview

Board of Education January 2025 Meeting

Chronology of Naming Indian Head Elementary School

1900 –Indian Head School first proposed (students attended Glymont school at that time).
1904–The school was dedicated and opened (eight elementary grade levels).
1919–A new school was built and opened under the initiative of Captain Henry E. Lackey and other stakeholders of the community and Board of Education.
1954–Junior and senior high students are moved from Indian Head School to Lackey High School (currently General Smallwood Middle School).
1976 –Indian Head Elementary School is opened at its current location.

*Historical records do not indicate the reason for the school's name other than its location, a naming protocol typical for CCPS schools in the early 1900’s.

Why the School was Named Indian Head Elementary School

Geographic Location

A "headland" is a point of land, usually high and rocky, that extends out into a body of water, formed when waves erode softer rock around a harder, more resistant rock formation, leaving a protruding section of land jutting out into the sea. These lofty outcrops are alternately referred to as capes, promontories or simply heads. They are a common feature due to the distinct geology of many coastlines. - National Geographic Society

Corroboration for the Geographical Interpretation

“….the vastly larger majority of our citizenry are more concerned that this name change will precipitate an unintended erasure of past references to “Indian Headlands”, a term which was used in historical records to identify the Southern Maryland region where our people resided historically for thousands of years.” - Francis Gray, Tribal Chair, Piscataway-Conoy Tribe (PCT)

“A history of the development of the Cornwallis Neck prior to 1890 (implies) the origin of the name ‘Indian Head’. The name is a corruption of ‘Indian Headlands’. As the entire lower end of the peninsula was once an Indian reservation, the Indian portion of the name requires no further explanation.” - Joseph Y. Rowe, Educator/Historian

"Head is . . . a shorthand geographical term for a piece of land that juts out. Neck is a long thin piece -- like the Northern Neck over in Virginia. Indian Neck in Virginia bears that name because that's where the Rappahannock and other coalescing tribes were pushed c. 1705. It doesn't look like a head so much as a neck.” - Dr. Julia King, Professor of Anthropology, St. Mary’s College

Earlier Geographic Designations of the Region

A series of old charts show that Indian Head has had four names since its settlement in the colonial period. On 1776 charts it was called Indian Point; on a chart drawn in 1835, Indian Headlands; Indian Head Point in 1865; and finally Indian Head on area charts dated 1866.

Indian Land

Indian Point

Indian Head

Legend

History from the Indian Head Elementary School website

The school located near the Navy base is named after the town of Indian Head. Indian Head was once home to the Algonquin Indians. Legend says the town is named after a young Indian from a foreign tribe who was in love with an Algonquin princess. When his love for her was discovered, he was killed, and the town was literally named after his head.

“The Legend of How Indian Head Got Its Name” C.M. Bryant

(Provided by Tommy Wright: NEPA and Cultural Resource Manager – Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command- Washington)

Alternative Versions

In the county levy for 1666, there is a curious mention of “Indian heads", the meaning of which is ambiguous. It seems almost certain, however, that by "Indian heads" were meant the heads of wolves killed by Indians, which had been acquired from them by the white settlers, who were entitled to the wolf head bounty offered, then 1oo pounds of tobacco. - Proceedings of the County Courts of Charles County, 1666 – 1674

“It appears that the earliest naming protocol within Charles County was to name the school, regardless of grade level, after the local town in which the school was built. Thus, I believe it quite reasonable to propose: Indian Head Elementary school was named after the town of Indian Head.” - Mario Harley, Member of the Piscataway Conoy Tribe

“Both the Calvert and royal governments wanted Native people as their allies and have them as a buffer on the frontier, so this kind of killing (beheading) would have been dealt with swiftly by both colonial and Native leaders. The Maryland colonists . . . ultimately sought to dispossess Native people of their land; itself a form of violence. In other words, the violence was not the imagined beheading but the theft of land.” - Julia King, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology, St. Mary’s College

CCPS Mission/Board Values

Mission and Core Values

The mission of Charles County Public Schools is to provide an opportunity for all school-aged children to receive an academically challenging, quality education that builds character, equips for leadership, and prepares for life, in an environment that is safe and conducive to learning.

The Board values collaborative, meaningful relationships with all stakeholders to include parents/legal guardians, students, teachers, staff, administrators, Board members, state and local elected officials, and members of the community at large.
The Board believes in equity for all students, understanding that some students require additional resources in order to receive a quality education.
The Board values equity as a personal and professional responsibility and will strive to create inclusive learning environments in which every child is able to achieve her/his highest potential.
The Board will maintain rigorous standards and high expectations for all students as keys to academic excellence and lifelong learning.
The Board believes there is value in diversity and all students and staff members are endowed with unique talents and entitled to mutual respect.
The Board values and promotes practices that ensure a safe and orderly learning and work environment.
The Board will responsibly advocate for funding to operate an outstanding school system and expects to be held accountable for allocating that funding to meet system needs.

Indian Head Mission/Core Values

Mission

Our mission at Indian Head Elementary School is to provide an academically challenging, quality education. We will use technologically embedded instruction to close the achievement gap and exceed state standards. As a school, we will provide a safe environment that promotes mutual respect and responsibility between home and school.

Value Statements

Children come first.
Children are our link to the future; therefore, they are the mutual responsibility of the parents, school, and the community.
Staff and students have a right to a safe and secure learning environment.
Students recognize the intrinsic value of being a positive contributor to school and community.
Closing the achievement gap guarantees that students leaving our school will read, write, compute, and speak to the best of their abilities.
Staff must be knowledgeable of the County and State Educational requirements (Common Core Curriculum) in order to provide quality education and ensure students’ academic success.
Technology is an important educational enhancement and necessary for our students’ preparation for the future.
Providing parents and families with knowledge and support positively affects the students.

Cost Analysis of Renaming Indian Head

Community Engagement/Outreach

Who are our stakeholders?
Students, staff, families, alumni, Smallwood feeder school communities, faith-based organizations, service providers, elected officials and advocacy groups.
How CCPS will engage.
- Online feedback survey.
- In-person and virtual community meetings.
  - Virtual meeting recording shared with stakeholders.
- Class presentation and survey for Smallwood students.
Feedback outreach timeline.
- March-April 2025.
- Present summary of feedback to Board at the May or June meeting.

Email Contact

Please send questions, comments or feedback to boardmail@ccboe.com