On Friday, May 10, 2024, the Shenandoah County School Board in Virginia voted 5-1 to restore the Confederate names to two schools in the district. The decision reinstated the names Stonewall Jackson High School and Ashby Lee Elementary School, honoring Confederate Generals Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and Turner Ashby. These schools had been called Mountain View High School and Honey Run Elementary School since July 2021.
The decision to restore the Confederate names came nearly four years after the school board had voted to change the names in 2020 as part of a resolution condemning racism and affirming the district’s commitment to an inclusive school environment. The current school board, which has six different members than the 2020 board, criticized the process of how the previous names were changed, citing a lack of community involvement and a rushed decision-making process.
Board member Thomas Streett, who voted in favor of restoring the names, described the 2020 decision as a “knee-jerk reaction” without adequate community participation. Board member Gloria E. Carlineo stated that their decision was not based on race but rather on rectifying what they perceived as a wrongful action by the previous board, which had eroded citizens’ trust in authorities.
The decision was met with mixed reactions from the community. Sarah Kohrs, a mother of two students in the district, expressed disappointment, stating that the decision sends “a terrible message” and seems more about “vengeance, control, and hatred than heritage or due process.” Gene Kilby, the son of late civil rights activist James Wilson Kilby, criticized the move, questioning why the county would want to return to a time in history marked by cruelty and racism.
On the other hand, a group called The Coalition for Better Schools had requested the school board to consider restoring the original school names, arguing that it was essential to honor the community’s heritage and respect the wishes of the majority.
The decision to restore the Confederate names is expected to come with a significant financial cost. In 2021, the district estimated that changing the two school names and a middle school mascot would cost over $304,000, covering expenses such as new uniforms, equipment, signage, and resurfacing of gym floors. The motion approved by the board states that private donations, rather than government tax funds or the school system’s funds, will be used for the restoration costs, with the school district overseeing the disbursements.
The Shenandoah County Public Schools serve more than 5,600 students, with a racial breakdown of approximately 75% White, 18% Hispanic, and 3% Black, according to data from the state’s department of education.
The decision by the Shenandoah County School Board to restore the Confederate names to the two schools has drawn attention as potentially the first school district in the country to reverse course on removing such names in the wake of the 2020 George Floyd riots.