8/7/2017 By Ryan McKinnon/Bradenton.com rmckinnon@bradenton.com
The new high school to open in Parrish in 2019 now has a name: North River High School. The board decided unanimously on the name during a public hearing at the board’s Tuesday evening meeting. The board solicited names from the public last spring, the board narrowed it down to their favorites in July and ultimately settled on North River on Tuesday.
Board Chairman Charlie Kennedy had advocated for Oak Hill High School because Oak Hill was the original name of Parrish. But board members Scott Hopes and Dave Miner, along with Vice Chairman John Colon all supported the idea of North River because it was more encompassing name of the total area where students will likely come from.
Now that the school has a name, the question of mascot and school colors is next. District spokesman Mike Barber said in the past, new schools have typically first hired a principal and some staff, who then work with the community on selecting a mascot and colors.
Ryan McKinnon: 941-745-7027, @JRMcKinnon
Courtesy of Neal Land & Neighborhoods
Neal Land & Neighborhoods is a Manatee and Sarasota, Florida-based master-planned community development organization led by John A. Neal. The company incorporates smart master-planning to create the next level of elite community living in Southwest Florida. By working with carefully selected new home builders, Neal Land & Neighborhoods aims to establish thriving, sustainable, livable and ecologically sensitive communities throughout Manatee, Sarasota and Hillsborough counties. Neal Land & Neighborhoods currently owns or controls several thousand acres of land entitled for more than 9,000 future residential homes and the supporting mixed-use commercial and retail.