As the former J.E.B. Stuart high school of greater Falls Church prepares for its new incarnation as Justice High School, similar changes are taking place at three elementary schools in Petersburg, Virginia, officially purging them of their previous Confederate school names. The schools previously named for A.P. Hill, Robert E. Lee and J.E.B. Stuart are now called Cool Spring, Lakemont and Pleasants Lane, respectively.
School officials voted in February to change the name of the schools, which was effective as of July 1, and signage outside the schools changed Tuesday, completing the transition from the old names to the new ones. The old signs will be available for purchase by the public. Petersburg officials estimated that the name changes would cost $18,000 and the city received a $20,000 donation to go toward that effort before the vote to rename the schools was final.
