In a first for the U.S., the education board for Shenandoah County, Virginia, voted to restore the names of Confederate generals to two public schools. The board overturned its 2020 decision, renaming Mountain View High School to Stonewall Jackson High and Honey Run Elementary School to Ashby Lee Elementary. The changes, however, must be funded privately.
This decision counters a four-year trend of removing Confederate symbols from U.S. schools and institutions. Despite more than 60 schools abolishing Confederate names since 2020, none had reversed course until now.
The issue remains contentious, with some seeing Confederate monuments and names as honoring Southern history. Others argue they perpetuate a sanitized “Lost Cause” myth of the Confederacy and the subsequent era of racial segregation and discrimination.
The proposal was initiated by a local conservative group, the Coalition for Better Schools, citing the “cultural significance” and “historical context” of the original names. An opposing citizens group, co-led by Sarah Kohrs, a graduate of both schools, garnered 687 signatures on an online petition to keep the current names.
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