AUBURN – The voters have spoken.

And when it comes to the city’s newest school, they say: Park Avenue Elementary.

“It just made sense,” said 11-year-old Emma Bragdon, who brought a book into the voting booth and stopped reading just long enough to check off Park Avenue. “And I didn’t really like any of the other ones.”

Park Avenue was a surprise, come-from-behind winner. At a recent school rally, many students wanted to name the school Olympia Snowe Elementary to honor the state senator. Many adults leaned toward Brann’s Hill Elementary in honor of a popular sledding hill.

“I’m shocked,” Principal Vickie Gaylord said. “But you know what? It’s wonderful.”

The name must now be approved by the Auburn School Committee. Members are expected to vote on it tonight.

The $10 million, three-story elementary school opened this fall, replacing the city’s old Lake Street school.

It serves about 330 students in kindergarten through grade 6.

For months, it’s been called simply “the new school.”

Auburn residents proposed more than 30 names at the beginning of the school year, and teachers began using the school name election to teach Auburn history, government and the political process.

Last week, after an energetic, emotional school rally, students voted to narrow the possibilities down to four: Brann’s Hill, Ledgewood, Olympia Snowe and Park Avenue.

Tuesday, in the new school gym decorated in red, white, and blue, nearly 650 students and adult Auburn residents cast their vote for a name. Volunteers stood by to help the very youngest students read their ballots.

The results were very close.

Park Avenue Elementary, which honors the school’s street, won with 189 votes. Olympia Snowe Elementary came in second with 175.

Many Snowe voters said they liked the idea of naming the school after a woman, a Maine senator and an Auburn high school graduate.

“There’s so many buildings named after a man, it’s good to have a building named after a woman,” said sixth-grader Nafisa Hussein after casting her ballot.

“Yeah,” classmate Angelica Baker agreed. “She’s cool.”

Brann’s Hill Elementary came in third with 165 votes. The name was especially popular with older kids and adults who used to play on the nearby landmark.

“When I grew up I tobogganed there and skied there, and my children did,” said 87-year-old Dorothy Kern, who attended Lake Street Elementary. “They’re all good names, but I like this one in particular.”

Ledgewood Elementary came in fourth with 115 votes. Gaylord, the principal, had silently rooted for that one.

But if the school committee approves Park Avenue Elementary tonight, she’ll be OK with that.

“I couldn’t be happier that we have a name,” she said.

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