Shenandoah County School Board members voted to restore Confederate names to two schools

School classroomPhoto byIvan AleksiconUnsplash

According to WTVR 6 News, Shenandoah County School Board members voted Friday, May 10, to reinstate the original Confederate names of two public schools. The names of the two public schools were changed following racial justice protests in 2020.

Reason for the reinstatements

After The Coalition for Better Schools asked the board last month to consider restoring the original school names, members discussed the issue in a work session, heard public comments, and scheduled the vote.

The school board's members are different now than they were during the 2020 decision. All six seats are held by different people.

In an April 22 work session meeting, the six new board members criticized the 2020 name change, saying it was wrong, rushed, and lacked public input.

The vote

The 5-1 vote came after hours of public comment during a meeting that included people speaking on both sides of the issue. Vice Chairman Kyle L. Gutshall was the only opposing vote.

A woman urging the board to restore the Confederate names said:

“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. Preservation is the focus of those wishing to restore the names.”

Gene Kilby, the last surviving son of James Wilson Kilby, a Virginia civil rights activist who helped desegregate schools in Virginia, criticized the move to keep the names.

Kilby asked:

“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? Is this the type of legacy that you want to put in Shenandoah County’s public school buildings?”

The two schools

The Shenandoah County School Board previously voted to rename Stonewall Jackson High School and Ashby Lee Elementary School. The schools had been named after Confederate Generals Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and Turner Ashby.

• Mountain View High School will be renamed after Stonewall Jackson.
• Honey Run Elementary School will once again be Ashby-Lee.