In a move that has sparked intense debate, the Shenandoah County School Board in Virginia has voted to restore the Confederate names of two schools, four years after they were removed. This decision marks the first time in U.S. history that a school district has voted to reinstate Confederate names after previously removing them.
The schools in question, Mountain View High School and Honey Run Elementary School, will revert to their original names of Stonewall Jackson High School and Ashby Lee Elementary School. The decision was made after a public hearing on May 9, where residents voiced their opinions on the matter. The vote was 5-1 in favor of the restoration, with District 4 member Kyle Gutshall being the sole opposing vote.
The 2020 decision to change the names was part of a wider movement to remove Confederate symbols and monuments from public spaces, following the killing of George Floyd. However, the current school board members criticized the 2020 decision, arguing that it was rushed and lacked public input.
Gloria Carlineo, a District 2 School Board member, stated that the 2020 board had taken shortcuts and made decisions without considering public opinion. “This was not an innocent mistake by some inexperienced school board,” Carlineo said. “No, this was a carefully choreographed advance of a school board alluding to ignore the people they represented.”
The decision to restore the Confederate names has been met with mixed reactions from the community. Some residents, including students who have experienced or witnessed racism in their schools, argued that the restoration would exacerbate existing racial tensions.
Others, however, felt that the 2020 school board had deceived them and that they deserved to have a say in the decisions made by the school board. “I’m fed up on people lying about how our schools were named,” one resident said. “I think it’s really rich that people lecture me about morality but excuse the actions of the 2020 school board.”
The school board has stated that the cost of the name change will be covered by private donations, not by the school system or government tax funds. However, the decision has left the community divided, with some residents expressing frustration that the issue is being revisited at all.
More for you:
