J. E. B. Stuart High School

History

At the time the school opened, the Fairfax County school board was opposing racial integration of its schools and the name reflected the school board's sentiments.

According to the above footnote: "In Fairfax County, .... they defiantly named their next two high schools after Confederate army generals—J.E.B. Stuart and Robert E. Lee." This is proven wrong in the School Board meeting minutes of 5/20/1958. Lee High School was simply named "Lee" for the Lee district. The naming of High Schools in order were Lee, (for the Lee district) Jeb Stuart and James Madison in 1958. Thomas Edison, George Marshall, and W.T. Woodson in 1960, Thomas Jefferson in 1962. Out of the 7 High Schools named only one was for a confederate. In 1963 Lee was renamed at the request of the SPTA. (SB minutes 7/16/63). That was six years later.

Regarding Fairfax County's reaction to Brown: It was not Fairfax County's choice either before or after 1954. Fairfax County Schools like most Southern Schools were under De jure segregation. After the Brown VS Board of education decision Daniel Duke who authored Education Empire wrote: "Whether local school systems such as Fairfax County left to their own, would have moved forward to implement desegregation in the late 50's will never be known. Richmond removed any possibility of local option." it was recognized in court cases that it was the state who was running the show, not the county. They didn't have a choice. In the Virginia General Assembly: Delegates from Northern Virginia openly opposed the Stanley plans as well as calls for even more radical legislation.

Munson Hill was steeped in Civil War history. JEB Stuart was named for JEB Stuart because it is believed his camp extended to the area where the school is located. Stuart's was famous for his Munson Hill Quaker Gun's deception. The battle fought at Manassas in 1861, the first major engagement of the war, ended chaotically. Union troops streamed back toward the Potomac, many wounded. A home on Munson Hill, Church Hill House, was seized for use as a field hospital, and the dead were buried nearby. Tradition has the military cemetery lying beneath the football field at J.E.B. Stuart High School. The Confederates soon took the high ground in the surge and retreat of armies, and it's likely the dead from both sides now lie together in the ultimate reconciliation.

The school has been featured in National Geographic magazine, and has received national recognition by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the International Baccalaureate program. President George W. Bush chose to speak there about education during the 2004-2005 school year.

In 2006, then-principal Mel Riddile, former director Straight, Inc., drug rehabilitation program for teens, was chosen as the principal of the year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Riddile moved to T. C. Williams High School in neighboring Alexandria City at the end of the 05-06 school year. Assistant Principal Pamela Jones took his place and retired in 2012. The current principal is Penny Gros.

Veteran math department chair Stu Singer retired in protest when Stuart administrators dismantled a remedial math program that had given Stuart the highest pass rate in the county. Singer later published a book on the program. Singer labeled the dismantling of this program "education malpractice that can only be described as unconscionable." Math scores plummeted after the reorganization. Other successful programs were also dismantled. Faculty morale fell to the lowest in the county, and many teachers retired or transferred out in protest. In 2014, the district sent a support team to Stuart to help the beleaguered administration.

In 2000, the school's music department began to gain prominence, being named a Blue Ribbon School for music by the Virginia Music Educators Association in 2003, 2006, and 2008. The school's band was named a Virginia Honor Band by the Virginia Band & Orchestra Directors Association in 2000, 2004, and 2006-2009. The band commissioned composer John Mackey to write a piece, which the band premiered on May 8, 2009 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the school. The school's top choir, the Madrigal Chamber Singers, were selected to perform at the Virginia Music Educators Association's annual conference in 2006 and 2008. Stuart has also hosted District X Band auditions annually since 2004, hosted the District X Orchestra event in 2005, and hosted Senior Regional Orchestra Auditions in 2007 and 2008.

On April 22, 2015, Fairfax County Superintendent of Schools Karen Garza named Penny Gros as principal of Stuart High School. Penny Gros had previously been the principal of Glasgow Middle School, the middle school for the Stuart High School Pyramid.

Demographics

In September 2015, Fairfax County Public Schools reported a student body of 1,973 at Stuart High School. That student body was 0.2% American Indian/Alaska Native; 13.6% Asian; 10.1% Black/African American; 50.3% Hispanic/Latino (any race); 2.4% two or more races; 23.4% White.

Name Controversy and Protest

In June 2015, alumni and students of the school began a petition asking that the name of the school be changed, alleging that it was named after J. E. B. Stuart amid massive resistance to the desegregation of public schools after Brown v. Board of Education.The petition included serious allegations, stated as fact, which denigrated reputations of the 1958 School Board members and Superintendent. That petition called for the removal of 3 high school names, JEB Stuart, R.E. Lee and W.T. Woodson The petition asked that the school be renamed after Thurgood Marshall. Alumni and actress Julianne Moore and producer Bruce Cohen added their support in August of that year with a separate petition.

The school board took surveys of the school students and the community separately. In both surveys the majority did not favor changing the name, however, it is argued that the surveys were not issued properly and did not reach all of the desired participants.

Some students have expressed their opinion that there has been more damage done by this strife than was ever done by the name JEB Stuart. Students who disagree with the renaming campaign report being labeled as racist by student advocates. Students who agree with the name change believe that a different name could be chosen to better fit the values of the Stuart community. Others expressed concern that there is already a Marshall High School in the District, and adding a second one would cause unnecessary confusion. Another suggested name is that of Barbara Rose Johns.

In July 2016, the Fairfax County Public Schools Board voted to set up a working group to "further consider the community concerns regarding renaming" the school. The schools superintendent will present the work of the Ad Hoc Committee to the School Board in April 2017.

Senior traditions

During the summer, the rising senior class used the portion of Peace Valley Lane, which is across from the school to paint their names. This tradition is usually done at nightfall to avoid cars from running over the student's work or the students themselves. Behind the baseball fields, the symbolic "S" rock formation was turned into the graduating class's year. In the 2008-09 school year, principal Pamela Jones decided to get rid of most of the rocks, due to students changing the rocks to different numbers or letters. She has also claimed that students were making obscene drawings and/or hate symbols. Another tradition that most rising seniors look forward to is the privilege to leave class 15 minutes early, which gives seniors the chance to get a head start to go to lunch before the underclassmen arrive. In the 2009-2010 school year, the senior class was stripped of both the ability to leave class early and the ability to paint the street because of actions taken predominantly by underclassmen.

Notable alumni