LOW MOOR, Va. – Alleghany Highlands Public School leaders have announced a new name for Clifton Middle School.
During a meeting on Thursday, July 7, the school board unanimously approved the new name, Clifton Academy, presented by the newly-appointed supervisor of specialized learning, Cindy Fox.
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We’re told the school’s renaming had been previously discussed in administrative staff meetings. It was brought forth during Thursday’s meeting as an addendum to the original agenda.
School leaders said the renaming will hopefully eliminate confusion with the new Covington Middle School – the former Covington High School.
According to school officials, some people are already calling the new Covington Middle School “CMS,” which could be confused with the existing Clifton Middle School, also commonly known as “CMS.”
Kim Halterman and Melinda Snead-Johnson, AHPS leaders, also nodded at the school’s and town’s history, saying, “We feel the name change will help give Covington Middle School its own identity. It will also honor the important role of Clifton Forge in the Alleghany Highlands.”
According to the board, students in sixth grade through eighth grade will attend Covington Middle School and Clifton Academy will house a portion of CLASS – short for Customized Learning Academy for Secondary Students. The CLASS program was previously known as AHPS’ Turning Point Program.
The name change of both Covington High and Clifton Middle come after the Covington City and Alleghany County school divisions consolidated to form the new Alleghany Highlands Public Schools system. The Jackson River Technical Center was also included in the merger, leaders said.
Students will soon head off to school in the Highlands as Cougars, leaving behind decades of good-natured enmity that flourished in the Cougar-Mountaineer rivalry.