Change is Gonna come.....
>
> The 1958 School Board changed the name of Munson
> Hill HS to JEB Stuart HS on short notice, with no
> community outreach...... >
Short notice? Without community engagement? So three and a half years wasn't long enough huh?
In the School Board meeting minutes of 5/20/1958, Lee High School was simply named "Lee" for the Lee district. The battle for the school name began on Dec 7th 1954,(SB minutes) three years before construction had started and three and a half years before the school was opened and numerous articles spoke to the acrimony in the communities of Franconia and Springfield who both wanted to claim the school name for their community cited in articles….. 5/7/1958 Washington Post "Feud over School Names settled by Fairfax Board 8/8/1958 Northern Virginia Sun "The history of the Franconia/Lee battle 11/20/1957 Evening Star "Franconia Name Opposed" 4/24/1958 Springfield Independence "Board Changes High School Name" 4/15/1958 Evening Star 'Residents Protest School Name".
This school was located on Franconia Rd, on the border of Franconia and Springfield, the area had a Springfield address, and it was in the Lee district of Virginia. The Property was part of the original Clermont Estate where Fitzhugh Lee was born.
In Feb 4th 1958 SB Meeting a local historical group suggested a compromise. The Upper Pohick Community League submitted a letter proposing that the School Board adopt a policy naming Fairfax County schools for prominent Virginians instead of by place names and that the Franconia High School be renamed something like "Fitzhugh, Lee, etc."
In the May 6th 1958 meeting, Mr. Solomon made a motion that all future new high schools in Fairfax County be named for some prominent American, now deceased. Mr. Solomon qualified it by stating that the "Franconia H. S." is not to be included in this motion, just those under construction, or proposed. Therefore a place name was needed for this school. Fortunately both communities were in the Lee district of Virginia and a compromise was reached on a place name.
In a May 8th 1958 article in the Washington Post Mr. Woodson said ..."he is surprised and disappointed that we have this type of controversy among adults. I don't want the children coming to this school saying I'm from Springfield…I'm from Franconia…let's fight. Gangs tend to develop in communities where there is controversy. "In a Northern Virginia Sun article dated October 8, 1958, Mr. Davis School Board member states …."He'd rather name a school Podunk then get into the battle like was over Lee High school." The article further notes that the name JEB Stuart was chosen because he had his headquarters on Munson Hill, the site of the school.
I do believe that would be community engagement, no?
All documented in school board meetings by the dates above….
https://insys.fcps.edu/schoolboardapps/searchmenu.cfm