Round Rock School District’s new elementary school, Elementary 35, has a new name.

On Thursday, the board of directors named the campus Redbud Elementary.

The name beat two others suggested by a citizens’ committee and refers to the tree design elements of the new school and some trees in the nearby Old Settlers Park.

“I think Redbud lends itself very well to the area where the school is located, as well as the architecture of the building,” Councilor Danielle Weston wrote on the council’s message board regarding the name.

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The school, in the north-eastern part of the district, has a large tree structure integrated into the library and its surroundings. The motif covers the entire campus.

Administrator Mary Bone said she appreciated the name’s connection to a grove of trees in Old Settlers Park, dedicated in memory of those who died.

Trustee Tiffanie Harrison said she liked the name, but would have preferred Juanita Craft in honor of the late activist and civil rights leader. Craft was born in Round Rock in 1902 and has spent her life working to mainstream education and end racial discrimination.

“I have to go with Juanita Craft because I think her name speaks to the values ​​I want to promote in this neighborhood,” trustee Cory Vessa wrote on the online forum. “Squeak. Courage. Determination. Perseverance. Leadership. Service. That’s what Juanita Craft Elementary can represent.”

Weston agreed that her legacy is important, but since much of her work took place in Dallas, she would want to choose someone with more direct connections to Round Rock if the district wanted to name the campus after one person.

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Trustee Amber Feller, who served on the nominating committee as a board representative, was the only one to vote in favor of Bright Lake, the committee’s third choice.

Feller said she liked the word “brilliant “‘s association with the students and the images it conjures up of the nearby park.

Feller said the committee didn’t rank the three picks by preference, but Redbud seemed to have the most traction.

After a brief discussion, the board voted 5-2 to approve the name Redbud Elementary School.

This year, the Round Rock School District appointed Kimberly Connelly as the first campus principal. The school was funded through the 2018 bond and is expected to open in fall 2021.