Fallen Army Cpl Andy Anderson's name is one of the 70 names on the ballot. This is a memorial honoring Anderson inside JEB Stuart HS.
— Kathy Stewart (@KStewart蜜桃视频app)
FALLS CHURCH, Va. 鈥� It was election day on Saturday as residents from the J.E.B. Stuart High School-area cast their votes and picked the new name they want the school to be called.
Back in July, the Fairfax County School Board voted to rename the school following a contentious battle over the issue among those in the community. J.E.B. Stuart was a Confederate military leader.
Outside of the high school on Saturday, it felt like a regular political election was taking place, with people campaigning and handing out sample ballots before voters were ushered into the school to cast their votes.
There were about 70 names on the ballot, according to Marty Smith, chief of staff for the Fairfax County Public Schools.
鈥淟ast week, we put together a list of those community members who came out and offered names that we should vote on,鈥� said Smith. 鈥淪o we took every name from last week and added that to the ballot for this week.鈥�
Andy Anderson High School was one of the potential names on the list.
Anderson was a star football player who graduated from J.E.B. Stuart High School in 2001. Anderson, an army corporal, was killed by mortar fire on June 6, 2006, while serving in Iraq.
鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 an honor, whatever happens, just to see his name on the list. We don鈥檛 want Andy to have to be forgotten,鈥� said Anderson鈥檚 mother, Xiomara Mena.
鈥淗e鈥檚 our hero. Just to see his name there 鈥� we鈥檙e proud of that. We鈥檙e proud of that.鈥�
The high school has a memorial that pays tribute to fallen Cpl. Andy Anderson.
Mena said her neighbor told her that her son鈥檚 name was on the list, since she had no idea. Mena鈥檚 husband and Anderson鈥檚 father, Harold Anderson, said he does not know who nominated his son鈥檚 name as an option for renaming the high school.
鈥淢y son is one of the candidates, Andy Anderson,鈥� said Harold, with a tear in his eye. 鈥淗e died in Iraq, so I鈥檓 here to support him. I definitely appreciate them nominating my son.鈥�
Matt Fernandez, who graduated from J.E.B. Stuart in 2005, campaigned outside of the high school on Saturday, saying, 鈥淰ote for Andy Anderson, war hero.鈥�
Fernandez knew Anderson鈥檚 twin brothers, and he now works as a substitute teacher at the high school. He says each time he walks into the building, he sees Anderson鈥檚 memorial.
Fernandez said he felt compelled to add Anderson to the list of new names for the school, although he was very against renaming it in the first place.
“‘Cause in my mind, and fellow peers’ minds, it鈥檚 not what everybody else says it is. To us, J.E.B. Stuart meant diversity and such,鈥� said Fernandez. 鈥淏ut since the tide of change [is] upon us, I feel like Andy Anderson is appropriate because he went to school here.鈥�
Fernandez said that it鈥檚 significant for him that Anderson died in Iraq while serving his country.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 my generational thing. I was in this school as freshman when 9/11 happened. I just feel this connection to him and his brothers in the community because we all grew up together.鈥�
On Saturday, Marty Smith says voters got to pick their top three choices.
鈥淲e have a weighted system where their first choice is worth three points; second choice is worth two points; and their third choice is worth one point. It鈥檚 part of the regulation,鈥� said Smith.
鈥淩egulation 8170 says we should have a weighted system for those names. That way, it gives the board the best opportunity to see what the community is looking at in terms of first, second and third choices.鈥�
Fairfax County Public Schools on their website Saturday night. Some of the top names, with points above 450, include: Stuart, Peace Valley, Barbara Rose Johns, and Justice 鈥� or some variation of Thurgood Marshall.
Andy Anderson got a total of 164 points.
The information will also be provided to the school鈥檚 superintendent, “who will make a recommendation to the school board on the top names that were selected today. Then, we鈥檒l provide the board with the superintendent鈥檚 recommendation.鈥�
The superintendent’s recommendation will be posted on Sept. 21, according to the school system’s website. A presentation to the school board is scheduled for Sept. 28.
The Fairfax County School Board has a work session ahead of the final vote 鈥� set for Oct. 26 鈥� where the board will have the opportunity to discuss the names.
Once the new name is official, they have until the 2019-2020 school year to institute changes.
Smith also said that school officials will then work with the community to think about the colors for the school, the school鈥檚 mascot and the costs involved with the renaming.
蜜桃视频app’s Teta Alim contributed to this report.聽
