The Regina Board of Education will decide whether or not to change the name of Davin School on Tuesday, June 19. The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Regina Public Schools building, 1600-4^th Ave. Please attend to witness the trustees’ votes.

Davin School was named after Nicholas Flood Davin, author of the 1879 Report on Industrial Schools for Indians and Half-Breeds. After the Truth and Reconciliation Commission pointed to his report as a foundation of the disastrous residential schools system, people began calling for the school to be renamed.

School parents asked for community meetings, hoping to turn the discussion into a healing, teachable moment about residential schools history and racism in education. The board didn’t respond and instead set up an online opinion survey, which many criticized as flawed. The board has refused to release the survey results, but has stated the survey will form the basis of their decision-making along with other input, including a citizens’ resolution to rename the school, which passed unanimously at a Regina Public Special Electors Meeting in February.

It’s important that each trustee casts their individual vote in full public view, so mark your calendars to attend in person.