The nation's oldest independent boarding school is about to undergo a name change after being the butt of numerous jokes for years. Governor Dummer Academy will begin using its new name, The Governor's Academy in July 2006.

However, the school's official name will remain Governor Dummer Academy.

The school is located in a coastal town located about 35 miles from Boston. According to the Associated Press, it has about 370 students, two-thirds of whom are live-in students who pay $33,000 per year in tuition. ''The board of trustees believes the long-term interests of the Academy are best served by implementation of this change in the school name,'' board president Dan Morgan said in a statement.

Governor Dummer Academy is named after Governor Wm. Dummer and was established in 1763.

Judith Klein, the school's director of communications, tells AP that she believes supporters of the name change far outnumber critics. ''Those who have very strong feelings are the most vocal,'' Klein says. ''There was a lot more support for this than might have been apparent.''