Despite Overwhelming Opposition and Nearly $1 Millon Dollar Price Tag, Fairfax School Board Considers School Name Change

This Thursday, the Fairfax County School Board will meet to vote on a proposal to change the name of J.E.B. Stuart High School. This resolution was introduced despite survey results that revealed a large majority of students and Stuart Pyramid stakeholders favored keeping the school name intact. In a school survey a clear majority of J.E.B. Stuart High School students said NO to a name change. Even after a one sided one-year name change campaign, only 1% of the JEB Pyramid (via an FCPS survey) said they would consider a change. The resolution goes to a vote July 27, 2017. In addition to a flawed process, we are troubled by the lack of historical accuracy and obvious distortions in the arguments presented by proponents of the name change and embraced by School Board Members. The projected minimum $900,000 cost of the name change is also of great concern. How can this expense be justified when FCPS is facing a 2017 shortfall of $135,000,000 and advocating a meals tax to provide needed revenue?

For two years the local community in Falls Church has been fighting to keep the name of JEB Stuart High School against a handful of vocal activists who want to change the name and have a majority of school board members on their side. This is despite a student poll last year showing 90% of the students wanting to keep the current school name or finding no compelling reason to change the name. The school board has said they will make their decision this Thursday at 7:00 pm July 27 at a meeting at Luther Jackson Middle School, 3020 Gallows Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042 CALL TO ACTION: Contact Fairfax County School Board Members (see contact info below) and ask them to vote NO to the proposal to change the name of J.E.B. Stuart High School. Make plans to attend the meeting THIS THURSDAY.  The meeting begins at 7:00, but ARRIVE EARLY to make sure you have seating.  Period attire is encouraged and those willing to greet the public are asked to arrive early. Read and share this website!  www.stuartfacts.com

FAIRFAX COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD CONTACT INFO: The 12 School Board members are elected for four-year terms; one member represents each of the County’s nine magisterial districts, and three members serve at large. A student representative, selected for a one-year term by the Student Advisory Council, sits with the Board at all public meetings and participates in discussions, but does not vote. School Board members are paid a salary of $32,000 per year. The Chairman is paid an additional $2,000 per year. Contact Ryan McElveen     Phone: 571-423-1089     E-mail: Ryan.McElveen@fcps.edu Contact Ilryong Moon     Phone: 571-423-1090     E-mail: ilryong.moon@fcps.edu Contact Megan McLaughlin     Phone: 571-423-1088     E-mail: Megan.McLaughlin@fcps.edu Contact Jane Strauss     Phone: 571-423-1087     E-mail: Jane.Strauss@fcps.edu Contact Pat Hynes     Phone: 571-423-1082     E-mail: Pat.Hynes@fcps.edu Contact Tamara Derenak Kaufax     Phone: 571-423-1081     E-mail: tdkaufax@fcps.edu Contact Sandy Evans     Phone: 571-423-1083     E-mail: ssevans@fcps.edu Contact Karen Corbett Sanders     Phone: 571-423-1086     Email: klcorbettsan@fcps.edu Contact Dalia Palchik     Phone: 571-423-1084     E-mail: dapalchik@fcps.edu Contact Elizabeth Schultz     Phone: 571-423-1080     E-mail: Elizabeth.Schultz@fcps.edu Contact Thomas Wilson Phone: 571-423-1085 E-mail: tawilson@fcps.edu

Despite the fact that a student poll last year at JEB Stuart found that 90% of the students liked the name JEB Stuart or found no compelling need to change the name, the reckless school board has proceeded to bow to a couple of dozen of activists to change the name, who are reinforced by National special interest groups. The school board and activists were also completely unaware that JEB Stuart had his military headquarters at Munson Hill adjacent to the school after the First Battle of Manassas, where he gained fame for having fortifications 6 miles from the White House, and used fake trees as "Quaker Guns" as a ruse to successfully deceive the Union of his full intentions. It is estimated that the school name change will cost up to a million dollars, during a period of budget shortfalls. Even more concerning is that it sets a harmful precedent to changing more than 30 other school names in the county historically "associated" with slavery, including the local High Schools of Robert E. Lee, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Fairfax, Chantilly, and Langely. And where does it stop, as Fairfax County is named after one of the largest slave holders in the original colonies, Lord Fairfax? General Stuart gave his life in defense of Virginia and the Confederacy.  Will you stand up for him?