Confederate Officer's Name Removed From Fairfax School

FAIRFAX, VA — During its Thursday night meeting, the Fairfax County School Board voted to change the name of Mosby Woods Elementary to Mosaic Elementary.

The school board initiated the process last June to rename the school, which is located near the Mosby Woods community in the City of Fairfax. A real estate developer named the community after Confederate officer John Singleton Mosby in the 1960s, a time when there was significant opposition to school integration in Virginia.

“The School Board is committed to renaming schools that are symbols of oppression and hate,” said School Board Chair Ricardy Anderson, in a release.

The proposal was brought before the board as new business on Sept. 3, 2020, and input was solicited from the community on what the school's new name should be.

“As a school division, it is important that our schools honor and value the diversity of our students and families,” Scott S.Brabrand, Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools said, in a release. “It is time to remove Confederate symbols and names from schools so that students can feel welcomed, accepted, and inspired.”

At the board's Oct. 8 meeting, Brabrand introduced the following recommendations for new names: Katherine Johnson, Five Oaks, Mary McBride, Barbara Rose Johns, and Mosaic.

Public comments in support of the new name included “mosaic conjure images of colorful creations made meaningful through the compilation of many different shapes and colors” and “mosaic is a wonderful symbol and representation of our community.”

“Mosaics are not perfect," Providence District School Board Member Karl Frisch said, when introducing the motion to adopt "mosaic" as the school's new name. "But the irregular pieces of stone, glass, and ceramic that create mosaics, result in something special. That is my hope for the Mosby Woods community – that this change results in something special. Not only for them, but for future generations of students who walk the halls of Mosaic Elementary School.”

After At-large School Board Member Rachna Sizemore-Heizer seconded Frisch's motion, the board voted 10-2 to approve it.

The school will officially switch to the new name prior to the start of the 2021-2022 school year.