March 15 (UPI) -- Some parents of Florida middle schoolers want a soon-to-open school to change its name to avoid being abbreviated as the initialism "IPMS."
Christal Feldman, who started a Change.org petition for the issue with her allies, said the name of Innovation Park Middle School, which is scheduled to open in August, opens children up for menstruation-related ridicule due to the school's initials, IPMS.
"What the parents are concerned about is that the acronym for Innovation Park Middle School is IPMS and it was suggested our colors be red, white and black. They don't want to go to a school and wear a red shirt with the letters IPMS across the shirt for athletics, for academic competitions. They just don't want to be ridiculed or be made fun of from other students from other schools," Feldman told WKMG-TV.
The petition states the name is a "potential disgrace and embarrassment to the students, faculty and school board of Orange County."
"We respectfully request that you reconsider another name, such as Innovation Way Middle School, or something similar that will avoid IPMS on shirts, bumper stickers, logos, etc," the petition reads.
Feldman said she is particularly concerned about students and bullying.
"This is already an awkward time for them... They're trying to find themselves and middle schoolers can be harsh and mean and we're already seeing it at the elementary stage, so the middle school level its going to be even worse," she said.
A school board member said the issue will be investigated.
