Alexandria’s high school and Matthew Maury Elementary School will have new names soon — and Thursday afternoon, the Alexandria City Public Schools Board announced the three finalists for both schools.
The finalist names for the school formerly known as T.C. Williams High School are:
- Alexandria High School
- Titan Community High School
- Ruth Bader Ginsberg High School
T.C. Williams was named for former ACPS superintendent Thomas Chambliss Williams, who opposed desegregation. The Identity Project webpage from ACPS described him as "a staunch segregationist whose views could not have been more inconsistent with the vibrant, diverse and inclusive place we know today."
In earlier polling of community members by ACPS, Alexandria High School got the most votes out of more than a dozen options.
The finalist names for Matthew Maury Elementary School are:
- Naomi Brooks Elementary School
- Rosemont Park Elementary School
- Jean Reid Elementary School
Matthew Maury Elementary School was named after a Virginia resident who was considered the founder of oceanography — who was also a Confederate Navy member. Maury tried to establish a Confederate colony in Mexico after the South lost the war.
The names Naomi Brooks and Jean Reid may not be familiar to everyone. Both were strong Alexandria women. Brooks was a teacher in Alexandria for several decades and was much loved in the community. She passed away in 2020. Reid was a teacher and reading specialist in Alexandria and passed away in 2005.
ACPS Superintendent Dr. Gregory Hutchings indicated his preferences for Alexandria High School and Naomi Brooks Elementary School.
See the complete school board presentation here.
Put these dates on your calendar:
- March 18, 2021: Public hearing on name recommendations, during which the community will be able to speak about their preferences. (Sign up to speak here.) The meeting will be broadcast via links available here.
- April 8, 2021: School Board votes on new names.
- July 1, 2021: Implementation of the new names.
