Students at the new school in Lower Merion are petitioning to change its name to respect former principal Sean Hughes, writes Victor Fiorello for Philadelphia Magazine.

Hughes died in a tragic car accident this weekend to the shock of both the students at his school and everybody in the community.

Now over 6,000 people have signed a petition requesting the Lower Merion School District to rename its latest middle school in his honor.

The name is planned to be Black Rock Middle School but the community are now showing strong support for it to instead be named Sean Hughes Memorial Middle School.

“Hughes knew what being a high school kid was like” the petition reads. “As a teacher, athletic director, and principal, Hughes put the students and staff first.”

However, the process of changing the name may not be that straightforward as the school district policy prohibits buildings from being named after people.

According to Amy Buckman, spokesperson Lower Merion School District, the school board and administration will work with the Hughes family to find “an appropriate way to honor Hughes as the dedicated school educator that he was.”

Read more about Sean Hughes and the possible school name change in Philadelphia Magazine.