A suburban New Jersey school district is mulling over a potential name change for one of its elementary schools to honor President Donald Trump. As one might imagine, the proposal has led to heated debate among members of the school board and residents in the community.
The idea was first introduced by Robert Scales, a member of the Colts Neck Township Board of Education in Monmouth County. Scales asked the board to create an exploratory committee to examine what changing the name of the school would entail. He then stated that the committee would look into the potential costs and determine “what lines, if any, could be crossed by naming a school after a president.”
If the proposal passes, it would see Conover Road Primary School changed to President Trump’s name. The school currently serves students in grades pre-kindergarten through second grade. Another building in the district, Conover Road Elementary School, serves children in grades three through five. “What person is doing things that protects our schools?” Scales stated while presenting an argument that Trump deserves to be recognized for his presidential accomplishments.
According to Fox News, Scales also suggested that the renaming effort could coincide with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which happens in July 2026. The proposal was presented during a board meeting on March 4. However, the nine-member board did not vote on whether to create the exploratory committee.
A few other members of the board were enthusiastic about the renaming idea, but some local residents were not in favor of the name change. School board member Vincent Rugnetta went on to say, “I love the idea.” Rugnetta then suggested the neighboring elementary school also be renamed after Joshua Huddy, a figure in the Revolutionary War with ties to the local area.
Local news outlets reported that the vast majority of voters in Colts Neck voted for Trump in the 2024 presidential election, taking 69% support compared to 29% for former Vice President Kamala Harris. Angelique Volpe, the board’s president, stated that she, her husband, and fellow board member Kevin Walsh, have reached out to the president, inviting him to come visit the district.
Walsh has served as the director of security for the Trump Organization in New York for the last five years. “Just to be completely transparent, I’ve — me and Kevin — have reached out to the president and would love to have him visit our district as well,” Volpe stated during the meeting. One local resident who isn’t thrilled about the renaming is Matthew Jenkins.
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Jenkins, who created an Instagram post sharing his feelings about the proposal, saying, “School names are supposed to reflect the virtues we hope to instill in our children: integrity, humility, service, respect for the law, and a commitment to community over self.” He added, “Donald Trump does not embody those values. He represents division over unity, grievance, overgrowth, personal loyalty over public responsibility.”
Jenkins, who is a registered Democrat, campaigned for Congress in New Jersey’s 4th District in 2024, but was unsuccessful in his bid. A former member of the school board also encouraged the current members to shut down the idea, saying it created a safety risk. “Naming a school after a current public figure may not only be divisive, but it also poses safety concerns for our students,” one parent in the district explained.