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An elementary school under construction in Upper Marlboro will be named for President Barack Obama.

The Prince George's County school board approved the name by a unanimous vote June 25. The 792-student school being built next to Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School is expected to open in August 2010.

School board member Pat J. Fletcher (Dist. 3) spoke of civil rights leaders such as Malcolm X and Shirley Chisholm, who gave people hope for the future.

"For my grandchildren, it is no longer a hope but a reality, and for many of our children, it's a reality now," Fletcher said. "And it is apropos that it be an elementary school where learning begins. It gives our kids a sense of connecting the dots."

Several school districts around the country have named schools after Obama since he was elected president in November.

Among the schools that have already been named for Obama are a charter school in Compton, Calif., a middle school in Oakland, Calif., an elementary school in Hempstead, N.Y., and a high school in Plainfield, N.J.

Mykel Harris, chairman of the county's Republican Central Committee, said during the public comment period that the school board is a nonpartisan board and naming the school after Obama would be inappropriate.

"I don't think it's too much to ask that you all not make political endorsements by naming a school after a sitting United States president," Harris said.

Board Vice Chairman Ron L. Watson (At large) said the decision was not political.

"If [former Secretary of State] Colin Powell were the president, I'd be the first to put the same resolution forward. It's not about Republican or Democrat, it's about what can we continue to put in front of our children to give them hope," Watson said. "If anybody gives them hope, it's President Barack Obama."

In predominantly democratic Prince George's, Obama enjoyed substantial support among county residents, garnering 89 percent of the county's votes in the November election.

School officials have not yet announced a mascot for the new school, though some county schools in recent years have had students vote to determine a school's mascot.

Free meals available during summer

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Summer Food Service Program has opened nine food service sites throughout Prince George's County for anyone age 18 or younger to receive free meals during the summer when school is not in session.

The program began June 29 and runs weekdays through Aug. 7. Breakfast will be served from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., and lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Buck Lodge Middle in Adelphi, Concord Elementary in District Heights, District Heights Elementary, Dodge Park Elementary in Landover, Overlook Elementary in Temple Hills, Samuel Chase Elementary in Temple Hills, Seat Pleasant Elementary, Thomas S. Stone Elementary in Mount Rainier and William Beanes Elementary in Suitland.

Students will not be required to show any proof of residency or income to participate in the free meal program.

Food service sites are set up in communities where at least 50 percent of the students have low enough family incomes to qualify for free and reduced price meals during the school year

For more information, call 301-909-6343.