Goodbye Robert Menendez Elementary School, hello Public School 3
A public school named after Sen. Bob Menendez over a decade ago is distancing itself from him.
A New Jersey school is named after Sen. Bob Menendez. That’s about to change.
Formerly known as School 3, Robert Menendez Elementary School in Hudson County’s West New York was named after the senator in 2013. As part of the honor, Menendez helped pull down a tarp to reveal his name posted on the exterior of the building in bright blue letters that matched his tie.
“I can think of no better tribute than having an elementary school named in my honor,” Menendez said at the dedication, according to remarks published by his office. “It’s where it all began for me, and I know my mother would have been proud.”
Menendez made a speech to students as part of the celebration, telling them “dreams can come true, but they only come true with hard work and sacrifice,” according to a NJ.com report that year.
As Menendez is — like students may say — canceled, their school name is as well.
A Democrat who grew up in Hudson County, Menendez was convicted on July 16 after he used the powers of his office in exchange for gifts, and acted as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government. The disgraced senator has maintained his innocence, but he said he will resign from his post on Aug. 20 after most of his Democratic colleagues called on him to step down.
West New York Mayor Mayor Albio Sires told the New Jersey Globe last week that the school will once again be called simply PS #3 — a less controversial name. PS #4 is named after Sires, who was given the honor around the same time as Menendez.
Menendez’s name will be removed from the building before students start the school year, the Globe reported.
The local school board authorized the name change in honor of Menendez at the suggestion of then-Mayor Felix Roque, a Democrat who endorsed Menendez’s Republican challenger in 2012.
Sires and Menendez’s offices did not immediately respond to requests for comment.