Committee Names 4 Finalists for Southside Elementary’s New Name

MADISON, Wis. (WMDX) – Four finalists have been chosen for Southside Elementary’s new name. 

The East Badger Road school first opened in 2023 with Southside Elementary School as its temporary name. 

The Madison Metropolitan School District has set standards for naming schools. They can be named after prominent deceased people, locally significant geographical sites or places, and respected values or virtues. 

The committee got 175 submissions from the public, and even endorsements on specific names from people like Governor Tony Evers. 

Here are the four final ideas for Southside’s new name: 

• Ada Deer – the first Native woman in Wisconsin to run for Congress, and a big champion of indigenous rights. 
• Lori Mann Carey – a southside Madison native, teacher, and advocate for young people. She started nonprofits and programs that serve underprivileged kids. 
• Nine Springs – the 7-mile environmental corridor near the Capital Springs Recreation Area and Capital City State Trail. 
• Southside Elementary – this would keep some consistency in the Southside community. 

A school board workgroup will discuss their options on February 3. They’ll take a vote on February 24.