Lizard Lick Elementary? Wake school board weighs future east Wake school names

Two future eastern Wake County elementary schools will soon get their names.

The Wake County school board's facilities committee has recommended "Little Creek Elementary" for a school set to open in eastern Zebulon by 2029. It will be located at 2200 Old Bunn Road.

However, the school board was hesitant to accept school district officials' recommendation of "Lizard Lick Elementary" for another elementary school, likely to open later. Instead, the committee suggested the board keep three choices and ask school principals to invite families to give feedback on the name. The three choices would be: Lizard Lick, Marshburn Road or Fall Branch elementary schools.

The district recommended Lizard Lick because the school -- located at 2621 NC 97 Hwy in Wendell -- is in the heart of the area known as Lizard Lick.

But board members were nervous about selecting a name with other associations attached to it, namely the former reality television show, "Lizard Lick Towing."

"Lizard Lick sounds like fun, like a fun name," said Board Member Cheryl Caulfield, who represents the area. But Caulfield said she thought the district anymore tried to avoid naming a school for a community because people may move to a community and expect their children will be assigned to the school that shares its name, even though that may not be true.

Outsiders may also be unfamiliar with the community and might react poorly to the name "Lizard Lick," some board members said.

The committee also considered a name for another elementary school, this one in Zebulon.

The committee selected "Little Creek Elementary" for the school, and the full school board plans to vote on the name recommendation next month.

Members decided against the district's recommendation of Old Bunn Road Elementary after board members thought it could cause confusion.

Board Chairman Chris Heagarty noted that Bunn Elementary is located nearby in Franklin County.

"Old Bunn" refers to the former site of the town of Bunn, which is now in Franklin County. It was named for Green Walker Bunn, according to the town. It's not to be confused with the nearby Bennett Bunn Plantation, where people were enslaved, Betty Parker said.