Dear Families, Faculty, and Staff:

We hope this message finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy. We are writing to share important information with you about the path forward.

As you are likely aware, the Hanover County School Board voted in favor of removing the names of Lee-Davis High School and Stonewall Jackson Middle School during their monthly meeting on Tuesday evening. This process will also involve renaming the mascots. Understandably, this affects us all in different ways and causes us to feel a range of emotions. We also acknowledge that this may also cause some uncertainty about next steps. We want to assure you that we will continue to provide you with support and keep you informed as we move forward together.

The process to retire the names from each school is currently underway. This is a tedious process that involves many areas, from exterior and interior signage to our online presence and stationary. As a result, this will take several weeks to complete. Our goal is to finish as much of this work as possible prior to the start of the 2020-2021 school year to limit the disruption to our students, staff, and the learning environment. We will temporarily store many of these items and proceed with a sale of surplus property in accordance with School Board policy 3-3.11 and state law.

We will also follow School Board policy 4-3.8 to rename both schools. The School Board intends to appoint a committee during their monthly meeting in August. With input from the community, the committee will work to provide a single recommendation for new school names for the board’s consideration.

The committee will complete its work in a deliberate and timely manner. We anticipate the committee will make a recommendation by early fall. After the School Board selects new school names, we will work to select new mascots. This is a school-based decision, and we will engage our students and staff in this important process. We will share more details about next steps as they become available.

Our future is bright. As we move forward together, we want to reassure you of our strong, unwavering, and longstanding commitment to our students, faculty, staff, and broader community. We value your ongoing support and partnership with us, and we are dedicated to serving you. Above all, we will continue to work tirelessly to provide safe, welcoming, and inclusive schools that are a place of refuge and a source of pride for everyone, especially our students. We look forward to engaging in this important work together that will serve generations of students to come.

With deepest gratitude,

Dr. Michael Gill
Superintendent

Mrs. Jennifer Greif
Assistant Superintendent of Instruction
Chief Academic Officer

Dr. Robert Staley
Director of Secondary Education

Dr. Quentin Ballard
Principal

Mr. Charles Stevens
Principal