School-name finalists chosen

BENTONVILLE — The Bentonville School Board has narrowed down the list of possible names for the district’s 13th elementary school.

The board decided Tuesday to select Barron and Vaughn as the contenders for the school’s moniker.

The Bentonville School District received 201 responses when it solicited name suggestions on Facebook last month. The top four suggestions were Barron, with 25 nominations; Sam Walton, 16 nominations; Steve Gunter, 14 nominations; and Vaughn, four nominations, said Tanya Sharp, human resources chief operating officer.

Vaughn is the unincorporated community in which the elementary school is located. Leslee Wright, district director of communications, said she’s consulted several people with knowledge of the area’s history but has been unable to uncover anything about the Barron name.

The school is under construction at Southwest Barron and Opal roads, near the Benton County Fairgrounds. It’s scheduled to open next fall.

The board will vote to finalize the name of the school at its Nov. 16 meeting, according to supporting documents.