The Atlanta Board of Education postponed a vote to rename a high school after Hank Aaron, saying they need more time to consult with the late baseball star’s family.
The board was scheduled to vote Monday to change the name of Forrest Hill Academy to Hank Aaron New Beginnings Academy.
The name was recommended Thursday by a committee that began reviewing the issue in November. Forrest Hill is an alternative high school in southwest Atlanta. Its name references Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan leader.
The naming committee wants to honor Aaron, a Hall of Fame Atlanta Braves baseball player who broke Babe Ruth’s home run record. Aaron died in January at the age of 86.
The proposal was included on Monday’s board agenda, but at the start of the meeting officials announced they would remove the item and not vote.
“We’d like to give that a little bit more time to ensure we have communications with the Aaron family,” said board Chair Jason Esteves.
Vice Chair Eshé Collins, who led the Forrest Hill naming committee, said officials want to make sure Atlanta Public Schools has the family’s blessing. She said she hopes to bring the proposal back to the board in April for a vote.
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