School Board Votes to Change Schools' Names

On November 23, 2020, the Alexandria City School Board voted 9-0 in favor of changing the names of both T.C. Williams High School and Matthew Maury Elementary School, consigning to history two individuals whose legacies have no place in ACPS.

Thomas Chambliss (T.C.) Williams was a former ACPS superintendent who fought the desegregation of our schools, long after the Brown vs Board ruling which outlawed segregation in U.S. schools. Matthew Maury was an oceanographer who served in the Confederate Army, attempted to negotiate a slave trade with Brazil, and encouraged confederates to migrate to Mexico following the war.

Following a robust community engagement and consultation process, ACPS now has a mandate to move into phase two of The Identity Project as we consider new names for both schools.

Superintendent Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr. made the recommendation to the School Board that they vote to approve the changes.

Speaking after the vote on Monday evening, School Board Chair Cindy Anderson said, "This is a historic moment. Thanks to the methodical and strategic process we undertook with The Identity Project, our community is more aware than ever before of why combatting inequities is so fundamental to ensuring change. Today’s vote is a symbolic step in the right direction, but we still have much work to do to see Equity for All as outlined in our ACPS 2025 Strategic Plan."