We may learn the name of the new public high school being built in northwest Sioux Falls sooner, rather than later. Superintendent Brian Maher says the new name could be announced in February or March, instead of the original plan of waiting at least a year from now.

Earlier this week, the Sioux Falls School Board selected the site of the new $85 million high school. It will located on property between Marion Road and Terry Avenue.

We learned Friday that the school district plans to announce a construction manager, the company that will oversee building the school, on November 26. And the name of the school could come just months from now.

The Sioux Falls School District wants to fast-track the naming of the new school that will be located in this vacant field in the northwest part of the city.

“Our thought process changed in that, number one, it’s something we can do right now,” Superintendent Brian Maher said.

Superintendent Brian Maher says a committee will look into naming the school starting in January.

Maher says it’s tough for the public to get behind a generic-sounding project like ‘the new high school under construction in northwest Sioux Falls.’ So that’s why he says it’s important to attach a name to the project as quickly as possible.

“I think we’ll have something there in terms of a name within three or four months,” Maher said.

Since the other Sioux Falls public high schools are all named after the presidents on Mount Rushmore, we asked if Jefferson High School is under consideration.

“I’ve talked to several people who say Jefferson is the obvious choice for the high school. I would tell you it doesn’t matter to me what the name of that high school is except for that we follow policy and in the end, it’s a good quality place to go to school,” Maher said.

School district policy lists presidents of the United States as one of the categories that can be chosen for a new name. But as far as continuing the Mount Rushmore naming tradition, nothing yet, is set in stone.

Maher says the name of the new middle school in southeast Sioux Falls will be named at the same time as the high school.

If you’d like to see what other categories are included in naming a new school, click here.

