The Mahomet-Seymour School Board voted to name the new Early Childhood Center on IL-150 Middletown Prairie Elementary Tuesday night.
The district gave the community and elementary students an opportunity to submit suggestions for the name of the new building in December. With 55 people submitting 76 names, a committee narrowed the options down to seven.
Superintendent Rick Johnston presented the board with the names: Middletown, Middletown Prairie, Prairie Ridge, George Cooper, Prairieview, Bailey School and Middletown East.
Middletown was the name of Mahomet until 1871 because it is located between Danville and Bloomington. George Cooper was the first teacher in the Mahomet community. Bert Bailey’s house was the first school house in Mahomet.
The board narrowed the options down to Middletown Prairie, Prairie Ridge and Prairieview based on the value of prairie in the name, Middletown’s historical value, the fact that schools in Mahomet are not traditionally named after people, and the plan to combine Pre-K through second grade in one building within the next four years.
With a final round of votes, Middletown Prairie Elementary became the name of the new elementary school.
