EASTON — Superintendent Lisha Cabral and Easton School Committee Chair Nancy De Luca are pleased to share that Easton’s new elementary school will be named after Blanche A. Ames, a local artist, inventor and advocate for the women’s suffrage movement.
The school will officially be referred to as the Blanche A. Ames Elementary School.
The decision results from Easton Schools’ invitation to the public to submit nominations to name the new elementary school. Those who submitted a name suggestion were given three to five minutes to make a presentation to the school committee last month.
Blanche A. Ames, of Lowell, worked on many artistic projects and was well-known for her drawings of orchids, later contributing greatly to the field of botanical research. She fought for women’s rights and was a member of the corporation of the New England Hospital for Women and Children. She later became the organization’s president and helped to secure significant funding for its growth. She was also an innovator and invented a method to trap the propellers of enemy aircraft during World War II. Throughout her life she was a leader in civic and charitable affairs and became an author later in her life.
A total of 12 names were submitted to the committee, and Blanche A. Ames was ultimately chosen for her contributions to society that supported the success and well-being of individuals in the Town of Easton.
“Blanche’s legacy aligns with and reflects the core values of Easton Public Schools,” said School Committee Vice Chair Jackie Weisman. “She used her talents to fight for equal rights for women and to demonstrate that women could be scientists, engineers, artists and inventors in a time when women did not have the same opportunities as we do now. Her name has stood the test of time, and it will continue to do so through the new school.”
“The School Committee developed a thoughtful and inclusive process for naming this building,” Superintendent Cabral said. “We are grateful for all of the community participation, and the many wonderful proposals that were submitted. In the end, it is extremely exciting to be moving forward with a name.”
The new elementary school will be a state-of-the-art facility which consolidates the three current elementary schools into one school. The new school will be built on the current site of Parkview School and the district hopes for the school to be ready for students at the start of the 2022 school year.
Funding for the project was passed with a town-wide ballot vote in November 2019.
For more information and a full overview of the project, please visit the Easton Early Elementary School Project website.
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