Confederate leaders' names will return to two Virginia schools after vote

Virginia’s Shenandoah County will reinstate Confederate names to two schools, reversing a decision make four years ago in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. 

The decision followed hours of public comment on Thursday featuring members of the community on both sides of the issue.

The board decided 5-1 early Friday morning to reverse the name changes. Vice Chairman Kyle L. Gutshall was the only opposing vote.

The two schools, Stonewall Jackson High School and Ashby Lee Elementary School, were named after Confederate Gens. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, Robert E. Lee and Turner Ashby. 

More than 5,600 students attend Shenandoah County Public Schools, according to the state’s department of education. About 75 percent of students are white, 18 percent are Hispanic and 3 percent are Black.

In 2020, racial justice advocates around the nation urged institutions to change building names and remove statues that honored Confederate figures.

In July 2020, the board voted 5-1 to rename Stonewall Jackson High to Mountain View High and Ashby-Lee Elementary to Honey Run Elementary.

But the move quickly drew criticism from residents. Critics of the name changes argued the renaming was hasty and undemocratic, and attempts to restore the schools' Confederate names have persisted ever since.

In 2022, the board voted again, but the vote ended in a tie and the name changes remained. 

In April, the Coalition for Better Schools, a local conservative organization, brought the issue to the community once again.

In a letter to the school board, the group said the legacies of the two generals are complex, but important to the community. 

“We understand that the decision to rename these schools was made in response to discussions surrounding Confederate symbols,” the letter stated. “However, we believe that revisiting this decision is essential to honor our community’s heritage and respect the wishes of the majority.”

The letter added that surveys the group had conducted showed “overwhelming support for this restoration.”

During Thursday’s meeting, one woman urged the board to consider what the Confederate soldiers stood for as a reason to honor them with the school names.

“I ask that when you cast your vote, you remember that Stonewall Jackson and others fighting on the side of the Confederacy in this area were intent on protecting the land, the buildings and the lives of those under attack,” she said. “Preservation is the focus of those wishing to restore the names.”

But Gene Kilby, the last surviving son of Virginia civil rights activist James Wilson Kilby, who helped desegregate schools in Virginia, argued restoring the names would mean accepting a legacy of racism. 

“Why are we here tonight to go back to a time in history that was very cruel, where hatred and racism continued throughout this county and throughout the  United States?” said Kilby. “Is this the type of legacy that you want to put in Shenandoah County’s public school buildings?”