What’s in a name? Well, at least an indication of tone and meaning, as evidenced by Gov. Martin O’Malley’s education funding announcement on Wednesday.

Maryland’s annual “beg-a-thon,” where school districts from around the state come before the Board of Public Works to compete for school construction dollars, has a new moniker.

In a press release, O’Malley now calls the event a “hope-a-thon,” which allows “school superintendents to have a more meaningful conversation with the Board of Public Works on their jurisdiction’s key school priorities.”

School officials were asking for part of an unallocated $108 million out of $333 million in state aid for public school construction funding planned for fiscal 2009.

How about this new name? Do you think it’s a more accurate representation of the event, or is the BPW off-base?

Above: This newly-built complex in Howard County includes Reservoir High, Lime Kiln Middle, and Fulton Elementary schools. Image courtesy of Johns Hopkins APL.