In a surprising reversal, the school board of Shenandoah County in Virginia has voted to restore Confederate names to one high school and one elementary school. This decision comes four years after the names were removed amid nationwide protests demanding racial justice. Experts believe this is the first case of a school system restoring Confederate names that were previously taken down.

By a vote of 5-1, the Shenandoah County school board decided to rename Mountain View High School as Stonewall Jackson High School, and Honey Run Elementary as Ashby Lee Elementary. This decision marks a departure from the trend seen in 2020 when several school systems across Virginia and the South removed Confederate names from public locations in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.

According to Rivka Maizlish, a senior research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project, there is no record of another school system restoring a Confederate name after its removal. Although there has been a continued trend of removing Confederate names and memorials, including the renaming of nine Army installations and the removal of a Confederate memorial from Arlington National Cemetery, the restoration of such names is unprecedented.

It is important to note that in Virginia, local governments were previously prohibited from removing Confederate memorials and statues until the law was changed in 2020. However, this statute did not apply to school names. The school board members who voted in favor of restoring the Confederate names argued that the previous board had disregarded popular sentiment and due process when the names were initially stripped.

The shift in the school board's composition after the 2023 elections played a significant role in this decision. With a newly formed 100% conservative board, Shenandoah County saw a change in perspective. Board member Gloria Carlineo voiced opposition to opponents of Confederate names, urging them to stop equating every issue with racism and prejudice, emphasizing that doing so diminishes real cases of racism.

Amidst differing opinions, Kyle Gutshall was the sole board member who voted against reinstating the Confederate names. He acknowledged the merits of both sides of the debate but believed that a majority of residents in his district preferred leaving the Mountain View and Honey Run names unchanged.

While some residents, such as Beth Ogle, expressed concern that restoring these names undermines the dignity and respect of minority students, faculty, and staff, others like Kenny Wakeman argued that the names were an integral part of the county's heritage until recent events prompted their removal.

The resolution passed by the school board emphasizes that private donations will fund the name changes, alleviating taxpayers' burden. Shenandoah County, known for its predominantly conservative politics and rural nature, stands approximately 100 miles west of the nation's capital. In the 2020 presidential elections, despite Republican Donald Trump winning 70% of the vote in the county, Virginia as a whole voted for Joe Biden.

It is worth mentioning that Virginia has witnessed the removal of Confederate statues, including those of General Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Confederate President Jefferson Davis from Richmond's Monument Avenue in response to protests and vandalism. Analysts like Rivka Maizlish find it unusual, though not unprecedented, for conservative jurisdictions like Shenandoah County to have removed Confederate names in the first place. However, she expresses concern about the promotion of Lost Cause propaganda.

The school board's decision to reinstate Confederate names to two schools in Shenandoah County goes against the prevailing national trend, rekindling the ongoing debate surrounding the memorialization of Confederate figures and their legacy in American history.