Courtesy of Alexandria City Public Schools
On Monday, the Alexandria City Public Schools (SCPS) School Board will vote on whether to change the name of T.C. Williams High School and Matthew Maury Elementary School.
ACPS Superintendent Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr. this week released a statement recommending the names for both schools be changed. He said in the ACPS Express email newsletter, “I, for one, hope that history is made next week and that our Board members will vote to eradicate the names of these individuals from our schools. Thomas Chambliss Williams and Matthew Maury did not possess the character deserving of our schools or our students and have no place in ACPS.”
A push to change the name of the high school has been simmering for years. There have been conversations about renaming T.C. Williams since the 1990s, with a strong revival in 2017 when there was talk of removing the statue of Robert E. Lee in Richmond. The social reckoning that occurred in the wake of the death of George Floyd police custody in Minnesota pushed the issue along.
T.C. Williams is named after ACPS superintendent of 30 years Thomas Chambliss Williams who opposed desegregation. Matthew Maury Elementary's namesake is known as the Father of Modern Oceanography and Naval Meteorology — and was the commander of the Confederate Navy.
ACPS leaders hosted multiple read-ins this fall and discussions with students, staff and community members. At times the conversations and other actions became controversial, including when students began to drape sheets over the T.C. Williams sign.
In a survey conducted by ACPS's The Identity Project, 75 percent of respondents were in favor of changing the name of T.C. Williams, and 72 percent were in favor of changing Matthew Maury Elementary.
Other area school names have come under scrutiny. In June, the Fairfax County School Board voted to change the name of Robert E. Lee High School.
A preliminary cost estimate totaled $270,000 to rename T.C. Williams when factoring in the cost of new sports uniforms, school signs and branding. Some expenses have yet to be calculated, so the final price tag will be higher.
It is estimated to cost a little over $5,000 to change the name of Matthew Maury Elementary.
The vote will take place at the 5 p.m. School Board meeting on Monday. The meeting will be broadcast live online.
