Michael Jackson gets school named after him

A school in the Indiana, United States of America would soon be named after late pop icon, Michael Jackson. Indiana was the singer’s hometown.

 The Gary Indiana Community School Board reached an agreement early n the week with Jackson’s mother, Katherine Jackson. The rationale behind the renaming, according to the agreement was to “honor Michael Jackson and to inspire children to excel in the arts and education".

District superintendent Cheryl Pruitt said she's working with the Jackson family on which school to rename.

Speaking to the Gary Post-Tribune, she said: “A close relationship with the Jackson family to improve the quality of programs for the Gary Community School Corp. can mean tremendous gains for the school district and the city as a whole”.

But wont Jackson’s cases of child molestation of which he was acquitted in 2005 be a stumbling block? School corporation spokeswoman Charmella Greer said those accusations were never considered during discussions about renaming the school. She said:"He is one of the most beloved artists in the world".



Pruitt, who 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, added: “She's always wanted something left here”.


According to reports, the school board had voted in June to close six of its 17 schools because of a $27 million deficit.

“Wacko Jacko” lived in Gary till he was 11 when his family moved to California after the Jackson 5 struck it big in 1969 with the release of their first album. Jackson last returned to Gary in 2003 and received an honorary diploma from Roosevelt High School near his childhood home. He died June 25, 2009.

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