Michael Jackson's Hometown To Name School After Him

Plans are in the works to name a school
after Michael Jackson in the late pop star's
Midwestern hometown.
The Gary Community School Board approved on
Tuesday a memorandum of understanding with
Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson. The
agreement that Jackson signed last month says
the district "seeks to honour Michael Jackson
and to inspire children to excel in the arts and
education".
Michael Jackson spent the first 11 years of his
life in Indiana. His family moved to California
after the Jackson 5 struck it big in 1969 with
the release of their first album. Jackson, who
died in 2009, last returned to Gary in 2003 and
received an honorary diploma from Roosevelt
High School near his childhood home.
District superintendent Cheryl Pruitt said she's
working with the Jackson family on which
school to rename.
"A close relationship with the Jackson family to
improve the quality of programmes for the Gary
Community School Corp can mean tremendous
gains for the school district and the city as a
whole," she told the Post-Tribune.
Jackson was acquitted of child molestation
charges in June 2005. School corporation
spokeswoman Charmella Greer said those
accusations were never considered during
discussions about renaming the school.
"He is one of the most beloved artists in the
world," Greer told The Associated Press.
Pruitt said renaming the school came up in a
conversation with Katherine Jackson, who
donated $10 000 during the Gary Promise
scholarship event hosted by former NBA star
Magic Johnson in April.
"She's always wanted something left here,"
Pruitt said.
The district has long struggled with high poverty
levels, and the school board voted in June to
close six of its 17 schools because of a $27m
deficit blamed in part on declining enrollment
and the state's property tax caps.