Status: Resolved

Resolved: January 1st, 2020

George Mason Elementary School has been renamed "Henry L. Marsh Elementary School".

Mason was the author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which served as a basis for the U.S. Bill of Rights. He owned roughly 100 slaves throughout his life, according to the website for Gunston Hall, Mason’s 18th-century mansion near the Potomac River.

Superintendent Jason Kamras said last year that Mason’s slave ownership “disqualifies him from the honor of having one of our schools named after him.”

The board adopted the recommended names from the RPS administration, which were decided by public input over the past few months.

Shadae Thomas Harris, chief engagement officer for the district, said each school formed a renaming team made up of parents, teachers, students and community members to get input on the new names.