A new tomorrow for students of Riverside High
The Generals are still the Generals, just not General Robert E. Lee.
A new sign went up on the gymnasium of the former Robert E. Lee High School the morning of July 22 as pickup basketball games began inside. The Cherry Street campus’ new name, Riverside High School, became official by a vote of the school board this month. The two dissenters: Lori Hershey and Charlotte Joyce.
The school district announced a new logo and color scheme for school sports teams the previous day. The new logo is a light green star behind a blue star symbolizing five-star generals of the U.S. military.
As News4Jax.com reported, “Lee” was removed from the sign outside the Jacksonville high school earlier this month as well. The Duval County School Board voted to rename the school, which was named after Confederate general Robert E. Lee, after months of public debate.
It followed a vote of those in the community inside the same gym in early May. The results for changing the name: almost 59 percent. The results for Riverside High School: almost 45 percent. The names with less support were Avondale High, Legacy High and School #33.
The results from the community’s non-binding vote were used to form recommendations from Superintendent of Schools Diana Greene. She concurred with voters, as did the Duval County School Board, who voted in early June to change the name officially from Robert E. Lee to Riverside.
The school board voted to change the names of five other schools named for Confederate figures. Joseph Finegan Elementary will be Anchor Academy, Stonewall Jackson Elementary will be Hidden Oaks Elementary School, J.E.B. Stuart Middle School will be Westside Middle School, Kirby-Smith Middle School will be Springfield Middle School, Jefferson David Middle School will be Charger Academy.
The board voted to keep the names for Jean Ribault middle and high schools, named after a French explorer who helped colonized the area in the mid-1500s, as well as Andrew Jackson High School. Those figures drew criticism for their treatment of the indigenous people of North America.
By Joel Addington
Resident Community News
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