Stonewall Jackson Senior High School has 3rd-lowest graduation rate, while leaders aim to change its name

In his plan to combat racism released on June 5, Prince William County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Steven L. Walts said it is time to rename Stonewall Jackson Senior High and Middle schools.

The schools, both located near Manassas — the site of the first battle of the Civil War in 1861 — are named for Jackson, a native Virginian who fought for the Confederacy, and is widely regarded by historians as one of the greatest military generals serve any nation.

The high and middle schools’ student population is majority Hispanic, at 60% and 65%, respectively. Stonewall middle opened in 1964, and Stonewall Jackson Senior High School opened in 1973.

As of Sept. 30, 2019, Stonewall Jackson Senior High School had 2,585 students, and 87.2% of seniors at the school will graduate. Only Freedom and Gar-Field high schools in Woodbridge have lower graduation rates, at 86.5% and 85.5%,  respectively, according to county school data profiles.

The county’s newest high school, Colgan Senior High School located between Dale City and Manassas, boasts a graduation rate of 97%. Patriot High School in Nokesville boasts the county’s highest graduation rate at 98%.

Last year, multiple parents who live in Prince William County’s Victory Lakes neighborhood, located on the county’s more affluent western side, cheered when the school division proposed moving those students out of Stonewall Jackson high school to Patriot High School, during a boundary-change debate that took place ahead of the opening of the new Gainesville High School, slated for September 2021.

Stonewall Jackson students and parents fired back and said the school division was trying to “segregate” Stonewall, by moving the students from the more affluent neighborhood, leaving behind the minority students.

In the end, the school board voted to move the students out of Stonewall.

In a statement issued yesterday, Occoquan District School Board member Lillie Jessie says she, too, supports the name change. She is also urging her fellow school board members to dive deeper into the academic disparities at the high school.

Jessie says:

• Change the name but only at the direction and approval of the School Board and after allowing community input. I do not believe a plan that lacks community input would not have happen in other schools perceived to be “middle-class schools.”
• Develop of a serious plan to reduce the achievement gap between minority and majority levels at a significant level

–In advance and specialty programs

— Improved performance on the SAT and ACT

— Participation in Thomas Jefferson specialty schools- which recently had a new round of admissions and did not have ONE Black student accepted

— Provide programs that support college and/career option for all of our graduates

Jessie also called for establishing a new committee to audit the names and mascots of other schools in the county “to determine whether, when and how renaming should have been a part of [Walts’] reduction of racism initiative.”

Stonewall Jackson Senior High School’s mascot are the “Raiders,” while the middle school’s mascot is the “Sabres.” Both Gar-Field High School and Woodbridge Middle School both share “Indians” as its mascots.

As for the name change under consideration now, the school division has released information on an expedited timeline for residents to make comments about the change, with the division’s first and only public information session on the matter being held this coming Monday, June 22.

A final decision on the name change will follow one week later when the school board is expected to vote on Monday, June 29.

When the school board discussed a possible name change for Stonewall Jackson Senior High School in 2017, officials estimated it would cost about $250,000.

Here’s more from Prince William County Public Schools:

Prince William County Public Schools will host the renaming process of Stonewall Middle School and Stonewall Jackson High School through a virtual meeting. The meeting will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on Monday, June 22. Members of the public are encouraged to attend the meeting and provide suggestions, recommendations, and justifications for names for the middle school and high school located in Manassas.

During the virtual meeting, following a brief presentation, the Naming Committees for the two schools will receive input from the community on renaming suggestions for each school. Those wishing to speak will need to register in advance. Each registered speaker will have three minutes to share their suggestion(s) along with any justification they feel is appropriate.

There are two Naming Committees, one for each school. The Naming Committee for Stonewall Middle School includes School Board members, Babur B. Lateef, M.D. (Chairman At-Large), Adele E. Jackson (Brentsville District), and Jennifer T. Wall (Gainesville District). The Naming Committee for Stonewall Jackson High School includes School Board members, Babur B. Lateef, M.D. (Chairman At-Large), Adele E. Jackson (Brentsville District), Jennifer T. Wall (Gainesville District), and Lisa A. Zargarpur (Coles District).

Wishing to speak during the community meeting?

For those with an electronic device connected to a functioning microphone, follow this two-step process to make a public statement verbally during the community meeting:

Step 1 – Register with GoToWebinar

Please register for Renaming of Stonewall MS, Stonewall Jackson HS – Community Input Session on June 22, 2020 7:00 p.m. EDT
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Step 2 – Sign up to speak

Complete the form requesting to speak by 6 p.m. on Monday, June 22.

feedback form here, to ensure your feedback is sent to the Naming Committees in the event of technical difficulties.

Prefer to participate in the community meeting without speaking?

For those with web access, the following options are available to you:

Attend the GoToWebinar

Register for Renaming of Stonewall MS, Stonewall Jackson HS – Community Input Session on June 22, 2020 7 p.m. EDT

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

View the community meeting online at pwcstv.com.

A recording of the community meeting will be made available in the days following the webinar.

For those without web access, the following options are available to you:

Community members without web access can access the community input session by phone or watch it on television:

Phone – +1 (213) 929-4212 Access code – 367-732-540

Television on Comcast Channel 18 or Verizon FIOS Channel 36.

Those wishing to make a verbal statement may call the PWCS Office of Facilities Services at 703-791-7312 by 12:00 PM on Monday, June 29, to leave a voicemail.

Wish to submit a written statement?

Those who wish to submit a written public statement about their suggested name for either Stonewall Middle School or Stonewall Jackson High School may do so before 12:00 p.m. on Monday, June 29. Please click here to access the renaming input form.

Please note that live captioning is only available on the GoToWebinar, not through any other viewing options.

Next Steps

The Naming Committees’ recommendations will be presented to the School Board at its meeting on Monday, June 29 for information and approval.

There will be opportunities for community members to speak at the June 29 meeting before the School Board votes on the renaming.