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| 1950s |
In the 1950s, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) was a growing school district as more people moved to the Washington suburbs. Student enrollment increased by thousands of students every year. In 1954, FCPS had 42 elementary schools and 6 high schools. From 1954 to 1965, FCPS would open more than 80 schools. Schools were named primarily for geographic areas and locations in the community. |
| 1954 |
In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v Board of Education that separate but equal – or segregated schools - was unconstitutional. The court did not set a deadline for when schools needed to be desegregated. At this time, Fairfax County Public Schools was a segregated school district and had been for more than 80 years. |
| 1956 | In 1956, U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd, Sr. of Virginia declared massive resistance legislation in order to unite politicians and leaders of Virginia in a campaign of new state laws and policies to prevent public school desegregation. Known as the Stanley Plan, the laws gave the governor power to close any school facing a federal desegregation order. |
| 1957 |
In 1957, a contract was awarded to build a new high school on Franconia Road in Springfield. It was referred to as “the Franconia High School” during construction. As the time approached for the new school to open, the community began voicing their preferences on the name of the school. Some wanted Franconia High School and others thought the name should incorporate Springfield. |
| 1958 |
Fairfax County School Board minutes from April 15, 1958 said the Superintendent distributed a memo to the Board recommending the school be named Lee High School “in honor of a great family name prominently connected with Fairfax County and Virginia.” The Board voted to approve the name. Lee High School opened in September 1958. At the same time in 1958, Virginia Governor Lindsay Almond divests superintendents of Virginia schools their authority to desegregate their schools. He ordered several schools in the state to close. |
| 1959 | In January 1959 both the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court overturned the governor’s decision to close the schools. A month later, a group of black students in Norfolk and Arlington County enrolled in white schools. A year later, Fairfax County Public Schools began integration with the establishment of a pupil placement board. Soon afterward, 108 black students transferred into previously all-white schools. |
| 1963 |
School Board minutes from July 16, 1963 indicated the Board received a request from the Lee High School SPTA to officially change the name of the school to Robert E. Lee High School. One board member made the motion, it was seconded, and the motion carried. School Board minutes do not reflect why the SPTA suggested the name change or why the School Board supported the name change. |
| 2019 |
February School Board votes to reconsider schools named after Confederate figures and revisits renaming policy September 16 Renaming Policy updated and shared, regulation 8170 |
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2020 |
February 6 School Board Forum Topic February 20 School Board Meeting - New Business - propose changing name of Lee High School February 21 One month public comment begins March 11 Community Meeting at Lee High School at 7:30 p.m. March 18 School Board Public Hearing at 6 p.m. at Jackson MS - CANCELED due to COVID-19 March 21 Public comment ends June 22 School Board Public Hearing 4 p.m. (virtual) June 23 School Board Meeting at 5:30 p.m. - Action to change the name of the school (If approved, process continues below. If not approved, the process ends.) June 23 School Board - New Business - Superintendent Recommendation on Name(s) June 23 One month public comment begins July 15 Community Meeting - Time 4 p.m. July 22 School Board Public Hearing at 4 p.m. (virtual) July 23 Public comment ends July 23 School Board Meeting at 3:30 p.m. - Action on new name of the school (virtual) Board voted to rename school John R. Lewis High School. |
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Citations: |
Daugherity, Brian J. "Desegregation in Public Schools." Encyclopedia Virginia, Virginia Humanities, www.encyclopediavirginia.org/desegregation_in_public_schools#start_entry. Accessed 15 Jan. 2021. "Desegregation of Virginia Education (DOVE): Timeline." Old Dominion University, 28 June 2020, www.odu.edu/library/special-collections/dove/timeline. Accessed 15 Jan. 2021. "Search School Board Minutes." Fairfax County Public Schools, 2020, insys.fcps.edu/schoolboardapps/searchmenu.cfm. Accessed 15 Jan. 2021. |