By EMILY SPARACINO / Staff Writer

PELHAM – Several Pelham schools received new names to go with their new buildings on April 27.

The Pelham Board of Education approved new names for two kindergarten through fifth grade elementary schools and a middle school set to open in the next few years.

Pelham Ridge Elementary is the name of the new elementary school being constructed on property located on Applegate Parkway off Shelby County 52.

The school is set to open for the 2016-2017 academic year.

Pelham Oaks Elementary will occupy what is now Valley Intermediate School and will take effect in 2016 as the school converts from a third through fifth grade to a kindergarten through fifth grade school.

Pelham Park Middle School will be constructed on land in Pelham City Park on property adjacent to Belle Vista Mobile Home Park. The school is set to open in 2017.

“I think those are great names and will serve us well,” Board President Rick Rhoades said.

Pelham City Schools Superintendent Dr. Scott Coefield said the board accepted teacher input for the schools’ new names.

“We allowed our teachers at the elementary schools to submit some suggestions, and theirs were better than ours,” Coefield said, laughing.

The three schools fit into a nearly $50 million building plan for Pelham City Schools.

The Pelham BOE also approved on April 27:

•To award a bid for $19,111,763 to Argo Construction Company for the Pelham Ridge Elementary School building.

•An extracurricular supplement schedule.

•A consulting contract with Janis Brush for services as a speech language pathologist.

•A consulting contract with Pediatric Therapy Associates, Inc. to provide physical therapy services.

•The superintendent to authorize change orders of less than $50,000.