Calls to rescind controversial Kingsville school name fall flat at public board meeting

Calls for public school trustees to rescind the controversial name of Kingsville's new school fell flat Tuesday night.

This was the first time the public board in Windsor-Essex met since voting to adopt the name of Erie Migration Academy. It will be a new regional K-12 school for the town and surrounding area, and is set to open in September with an expected student population of around 1,700. 

A handful of people, including several current and former students, told the board they are opposed to it. The name was chosen at a February board meeting. Tuesday's session saw students and parents formally speak out against it. 

"We've done so much with the walkouts," said Emmerson Jadischke, who was one of the students who spoke and who co-organized a student walkout. 

"It's disappointing because nothing is happening and we keep speaking out and putting ourselves out there ... and nothing is being done about it."

Among the speakers was Kingsville's deputy mayor Kimberly DeYong, who said she was addressing the board as also a former student of Kingsville District High School and as a mother of two current students. 

"It seems every smaller community has a school that bears its name and Kingsville is worthy of that too," DeYong said.

WATCH: Petitions, protest over naming of new Kingsville school:

Jadischke, who organized a walkout alongside Kinsey Kendrick, said not reconsidering the name shows "trust has been lost" with the community.

"We have not seen our local trustee be accountable to the people who have voiced concerns," said Jadischke. 

Both students suggested the name Kingsville Lakeside District School to the board.

Both students told CBC News that after the meeting they felt they weren't heard by the discussion. 

"I thought it was shut down rather quickly," Kendrick said. "Anytime a motion [to rescind the name] was brought up it was shutdown immediately."

Following the community discussion portion of the meeting, trustees considered a motion to send its facility naming policy and regulations back to the board's policy committee for review.