CHARLOTTESVILLE (WINA) – A committee reviewing the names of city schools plans to recommend that the School Board vote to rename Burnley-Moran Elementary as Blue Mountain Elementary, and Johnson Elementary as Cherry Avenue Elementary. The Charlottesville School Board is hearing the recommendation at tonight’s regular meeting, and a vote is expected at their April 13 meeting. The task of the Naming of Facilities Committee is to make a recommendation to the City School Board for each school on the question of whether its name is in alignment with the division’s current values, particularly racial equity.

In the case of Burnley-Moran and Johnson, the three namesakes of these schools-Carrie Burnley, Sarepta Moran, and James G. Johnson-all served Charlottesville’s racially segregated white schools as teacher, principal, or superintendent. The public feedback and the committee’s decision recognized regardless of the accomplishment or merit of these individuals, these schools’ names commemorate an era of segregated education that no longer reflects the division’s values.