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Three Virginia Schools Replace Confederate Names

civil war photo

PETERSBURG, Va. (AP) - New signs are up at three central Virginia elementary schools formerly named for Confederate leaders.

TV station WWBT reports the signage outside the Petersburg schools changed Tuesday, completing the transition to the new monikers.

The school names A.P. Hill, Robert E. Lee and J.E.B. Stuart were changed to Cool Spring Elementary, Lakemont Elementary and Pleasants Lane Elementary, respectively.

The city received a $20,000 donation earlier this year to cover the cost. A school spokeswoman said at the time that the donor wished to remain anonymous but said she felt called to make the donation for racial justice.

Other schools across Virginia have made similar changes since a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville last summer renewed the debate over symbols and names that recognize the state's Confederate history.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.