This story was reported and written by our media partner Williamsburg Watch.
The Williamsburg-James City County school board tabled the next steps in changing the name of James Blair Middle School at a work session Tuesday night.
Board members spent half an hour discussing the pros and cons of changing the name, and how much weight to give a community survey where a majority voted to keep the name.
“The community had spoken and they are the ones who live with the name,” said Roberts District Representative Daniel R. Cavazos. “We asked them what they wanted and that’s what they said …. the board should be respectful of the community opinion and move forward.”
Proponents of the name change said the middle school should not be named after a slaveholder like James Blair, who was a founder of William & Mary.
Vice Chair Andrea M. Donnor and Berkeley District Representative Randy J. Riffle felt the board should move forward with the name change process.
“I think our community is a little bit wrong on this,” Riffle said, urging the board to move forward with the name change process.
Board Chair Sarah G. Ortego told the board that it should not be pressed by an artificial timeline and asked those who wanted to make the name change an action item now to raise their hands.
Only Donnor and Riffle did so.
Earlier, the committee charged with considering the name change presented the school board with five names chosen from a survey in which 397 students, staff and parents participated. They were:
1. Integrity Middle School
2. Kiskiack Middle School
3. Longhill Middle School
4. Powhatan Creek Middle School
5. Willow Oak Middle School
Before the meeting began, the school board met behind closed doors to hire Acting Superintendent Daniel Keever as the new superintendent. Keever replaces former Superintendent Olwen Herron, who retired earlier this year.
Ortego said Keever’s hire “was not a foregone conclusion”. But during a nationwide search, she said, “Dr. Keever emerged at the top every time.”
Keever’s contract runs from June 1, 2025 to 2028.
Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools are a member of the Hampton Roads Educational Telecommunications Association, which holds WHRO's license.
