LAKE NONA, Fla. – Christal Feldman says some might think the acronym IPMS is funny, but that it’s not a laughing matter to her and other parents whose children will be attending Innovation Park Middle School.
"What the parents are concerned about is that the acronym for Innovation Park Middle School is IPMS and it was suggested our colors be red, white and black. They don't want to go to a school and wear a red shirt with the letters IPMS across the shirt for athletics, for academic competitions. They just don't want to be ridiculed or be made fun of from other students from other schools,” Feldman told News 6.
Feldman is working get the name of Innovation Park Middle School changed, and she’s already reached out to the Orange County Public Schools. So she started this petition on Change.org that has been signed by 165 supporters.
“We are excited and want to be proud of our new middle school. However, we feel the abbreviation of the proposed name - IPMS (Innovation Park Middle School) is a potential disgrace and embarrassment to the students, faculty and school board of Orange County. We respectfully request that you reconsider another name, such as Innovation Way Middle School, or something similar that will avoid IPMS on shirts, bumper stickers, logos, etc,” the petition stated.
"I don't think it's going to be permanently damaging to kids long term, but I think at the end of the day why fuel the fire? I think there could just be a better choice," petition supporter Kelly Clavejo said.
Other feel like the name is not a big deal and a handful of Facebook comments were asking 'Is this a joke?" and "Don't we have anything better to worry about?"
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"This is already an awkward time for them... They're trying to find themselves and middle schoolers can be harsh and mean and we're already seeing it at the elementary stage, so the middle school level its going to be even worse," Feldman told News 6.
A school board member told News 6 that the board will look into the issue.
Watch News 6 for more on this story.