OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford Dunkirk School District Superintendent Michael Mansfield told the Board of Education Tuesday that if it wants to rename schools, it should do so this year.

New names for Dunkirk’s schools are on the agenda for the 2022-23 school year.

Superintendent Michael Mansfield told the district Board of Education Tuesday that it is time to consider renaming school buildings, a year after a reorganization happened.

“We need to talk about how to do this and if you want community input,” Mansfield said.

He said school officials have informally discussed changes since the reorganization started with the 2021-22 year that just ended. However, the state Department of Education is apparently applying pressure to make firm decisions.

“We’re reconfiguring. They’re saying if you want to rename them, let’s get going,” the superintendent said.

Dunkirk’s reorganization of schools put students from kindergarten through second grade in “early childhood education centers,” located in Schools 3, 5 and 7. The district repurposed School 4 into rental space for child-related community organizations.

Students in grades three through six now go to the Dunkirk Middle School building, while students from grades seven through 12 are in Dunkirk High School.

Another former Dunkirk school building, School 6, was turned into WNY P-TECH STEM College and Career Academy in 2018.