The new James Blair Middle School is steadily taking shape on Ironbound Road, but a recent realization by the Williamsburg-James City School Board has thrown the school’s identity into question.
Because the new school will have a new student body, administrators and teachers, the Virginia Department of Education considers it a brand-new school – meaning it needs to have a brand-new name.
The Williamsburg-James City County School Board is asking for the community’s assistance in naming the new James Blair Middle School through an online survey.
While some School Board members said they support retaining the name James Blair during a Tuesday evening meeting, the survey will allow community members to submit their suggestions for other names.
The survey also allows parents, staff and community members to give feedback about the school’s redistricting process, which will determine which students from which neighborhoods will attend the new school on Ironbound Road.
In the process, the School Board has considered redistricting high schoolers as well, evening out the population of overcrowded schools such as Jamestown High School.
There has been an assumption that the new middle school will be named “James Blair Middle School,’” Superintendent Olwen Herron said at a Tuesday evening School Board meeting.
Herron said the School Board needs to vote on the new name so the division can begin the process of choosing school colors, a mascot and more.
The survey will be up for 10 days on the school division’s website, according to Sept. 5 agenda documents.
Herron confirmed the decision on the school’s name must be made soon, because the name needs to be painted on the gym floor.
Although the School Board policy requires the board to determine the names of schools and facilities, the naming issue came as a surprise to some board members.
Member Jim Kelly said he was under the impression the new school would be named James Blair Middle School, but agenda documents state the Virginia Department of Education considers it a brand new school.
“… Schools are determined by their administrative staff, teachers, and students,” documents state. “Since these will be new, the school is to be considered a new school.”
Board Chair Kyra Cook said she supports naming the school James Blair again, because of the historical significance of the school being the first “jointly-run” school between the county and city.
Board member Julie Hummel and other members agreed with Cook, stating the school’s history was an important part of the James Blair name.
“I think there’s a lot of history with James Blair and a lot of history in our community,” Hummel said. “I would like to retain the name.”
The school is named after James Blair, a founder of the College of William & Mary, school division spokeswoman Betsy Overkamp-Smith said.
The mascot and school colors will be an “administrative-driven” decision and will not be included on the survey, Herron said.
The School Board will vote on a name at their next meeting at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 19 at the Stryker Center.
