Current List of Virginia Schools Named After Confederates
As of the newest available public data, Virginia still has multiple public schools named after Confederate figures, including Robert E. Lee, J.E.B. Stuart, Stonewall Jackson, and Jefferson Davis. The Virginia Department of Education tracks school names and demographics, and recent reports confirm dozens of schools across the state carry Confederate-associated names. Many of these schools are in the Hampton Roads, Richmond metro, and Southwest Virginia regions, serving tens of thousands of students. The list includes elementary, middle, and high schools, with some systems maintaining the names while others have advanced renaming efforts. For a detailed overview of school names and divisions, the Virginia Department of Education provides a directory of public schools at Virginia Department of Education.
In 2020 and 2021, several Virginia school boards voted to rename schools after Confederate figures, following statewide and national policy shifts. The Virginia General Assembly passed laws enabling local school boards to change names without a public referendum in many cases. Despite these changes, some districts have faced community pushback, legal challenges, and budget impacts tied to signage, branding, and facility upgrades. The number of schools still named after Confederates has declined, but the exact count varies by source and update cycle. The most recent data from the Virginia Department of Education and local school board meeting minutes remains the primary source for current names.
Renaming Efforts, Policies, and Timeline
Virginia school boards have used a mix of board votes, community committees, and state guidance to rename Confederate-named schools. The renaming process typically involves public comment periods, cost estimates for signage and materials, and updates to records, websites, and athletic branding. Some divisions completed renaming within a year, while others took longer due to legal reviews, budget constraints, and community engagement requirements. The Virginia Board of Education and local school boards publish agendas, meeting videos, and resolution documents that track the status of renaming proposals. For background on state-level education governance and policy, the Virginia Board of Education website at Virginia Board of Education offers current information.
Recent renaming actions have shifted school names to honor local leaders, educators, civil rights figures, and other non-Confederate individuals. In several cases, new mascots and branding were adopted alongside the name change, affecting school spirit programs and community identity. The cost of renaming varies widely, from a few thousand dollars for updated signage to millions for facility renaming, uniforms, and digital asset updates. School boards often include renaming costs in capital improvement plans and seek community input on budget priorities. The timeline for each renaming project depends on board votes, legal reviews, and the complexity of changing records across multiple systems.
Enrollment, Demographics, and Community Impact
Schools named after Confederates in Virginia serve diverse student populations, with enrollment figures available through the Virginia Department of Education's annual reports. Many of these schools are in districts with high percentages of Black and Hispanic students, and renaming efforts have often been driven by community advocacy and equity-focused policy discussions. Demographic data shows shifts in school culture and student outcomes following renaming, though direct causal links are difficult to isolate. The Virginia Department of Education publishes enrollment, graduation, and discipline data that can be used to track trends in schools undergoing name changes.
Community impact studies and local news reports indicate that renaming Confederate-named schools can reduce symbolic harm and improve perceptions of inclusivity among students and families. Some communities have reported stronger engagement with school events and increased pride after adopting new names. However, the process can also be divisive, with debates over history, memory, and local identity playing out in public meetings and online forums. School boards use surveys, town halls, and advisory committees to gather