Mechanicsville High School

Mechanicsville High School (formerly Lee-Davis High School) is a public high school located in Mechanicsville, Virginia, United States. It serves students in grades 9 through 12 and is part of Hanover County Public Schools.

Mechanicsville (Lee-Davis) High School
Old Lee-Davis logo
Address
7052 Mechanicsville Turnpike

Mechanicsville
,
(Hanover County)
,
Virginia
23111
Coordinates37°36′49.1″N 77°20′25.5″W
Information
TypePublic high school
Founded1959 (1959)
School districtHanover County Public Schools
PrincipalCharles E. Stevens
Teaching staff100.86 (FTE) (2018–19)[1]
Grades9–12
Enrollment1,478 (2018–19)[1]
Student to teacher ratio14.65 (2018–19)[1]
CampusSuburban
Color(s)
  •   Purple
  •   Orange
  • Additional colors: Grey and white
Athletics conferenceCapital District
Central Region
Rivals
Feeder schoolsBell Creek Middle School
Websitemhs.hcps.us

History

Mechanicsville High School opened in 1959 under the name Lee-Davis High School and received students from the consolidation of Battlefield Park and Washington-Henry High Schools. After the new high school opened, both Battlefield Park and Washington-Henry became elementary schools.[2] Lee-Davis opened in the midst of Massive Resistance, as the State of Virginia opposed desegregation of its public schools, despite the 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. After opening as an all-white school, Lee-Davis admitted a small number of Black students in 1963, but did not fully integrate until the 1969–1970 school year, after all legal avenues resisting full integration were exhausted.[3]

Naming controversy
Former school logo

The Hanover County School Board named the school “in the memory and honor of two prominent members of the Confederacy, Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis.”[4] The two men were featured in the school's logo.[5]

The school's name and mascot were contested since the school was fully integrated in 1969–70. That year, the Hanover chapter of the NAACP appealed to the school board, on behalf of Black athletes, to remove the Confederate moniker from athletic teams because Black athletes didn't want to play as "Confederates."[6] After a poll was taken of the Lee Davis student body, and it found overwhelming approval of the names, the principal decided to keep the name.[7]

In Fall 2018, shortly after the Charlottesville riots, a group of alumni, students, and local residents appealed to the School Board to change the name of Lee-Davis and its feeder school, Stonewall Jackson Middle School.[8] Following a survey,[5] the School Board voted in April to keep the names.[9]

In August 2019, the Hanover County NAACP sued the Hanover County School Board in Federal Court on constitutional grounds.[10] The suit was dismissed by a federal judge in May 2020.[11] In June 2020, the Hanover County NAACP said that it would appeal the ruling.[12]

After the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, another local movement to change the name of LDHS arose.[13] On July 14, 2020, the Hanover County School Board voted to rename both Lee-Davis and Stonewall Jackson in a 4–3 vote.[14] In mid-October, after considering other names such as Twin Rivers High School, the county and its residents agreed on the badge of Mechanicsville High School.[15][16]

Athletics

The varsity boys Baseball Team were the Virginia High School League group AAA state champions in both 1997 and 2001. The girls softball team won the 2011 state championship. Mechanicsville is a nationally recognized Blue Ribbon School.[17] In 2014 and 2015 the boys track team won back to back outdoor 5A state championships.

Performing arts

Mechanicsville has two competitive show choirs, the mixed-gender Madz and the women's-only New Horizons.[18] Together with Hanover High School, Mechanicsville hosts a competition every year.[19]

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Search for Public Schools - Lee Davis High (510183000772)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  2. Rebecca Bray and Lloyd Jones. A History of Education in Hanover County, Virginia, 1778-2008. Ashland, VA: Hanover County Public Schools, 2010.
  3. Dan Sherrier, “The History of Lee-Davis and Patrick Henry,” Part X, Herald-Progress December 11, 2008; Jody L. Allen, “Roses in December: Black Life in Hanover County, Virginia, During the Era of Disfranchisement.” Ph.D. dissertation, College of William and Mary, Dept. of History, 2007 (Ch. 5); Rebecca Bray and Lloyd Jones. A History of Education in Hanover County, Virginia, 1778-2008. Ashland, VA: Hanover County Public Schools, 2010.
  4. Hanover County School Board minute book, May 6, 1958.
  5. Debbie Truong (March 29, 2018). "In Va. community where Civil War ties run deep, schools named after Confederate figures find broad support". Washington Post.
  6. "Confederate naming Lee-Davis decision," Herald-Progress December 3, 1970
  7. "L-D Votes to retain “Confederates” Herald-Progress, April 8, 1971
  8. Times-Dispatch, JUSTIN MATTINGLY Richmond. "'It has to change': Meet the people behind the fight to change Hanover's school names". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
  9. Local, Jim Ridolphi for The Mechanicsville. "5-2 vote keeps schools and mascots the same". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
  10. Times-Dispatch, C. SUAREZ ROJAS Richmond. "Local NAACP branch files federal suit against Hanover County over two Confederate school names". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
  11. Local, Jim Ridolphi for The Mechanicsville. "Judge dismisses lawsuit regarding Confederate school names". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
  12. Times-Dispatch, KENYA HUNTER Richmond. "Hanover NAACP files notice of appeal in dismissed suit against school board for Confederate name changes". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
  13. Times-Dispatch, C. SUAREZ ROJAS AND KENYA HUNTER Richmond. "Grassroots efforts to change Confederate school names in Hanover intensify following monument announcements". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
  14. "Hanover School Board votes to change names of schools named after Confederate leaders". WBWT. July 14, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  15. Church, Abby (September 17, 2020). "Hanover School Board likely to reject recommendation for new name of Lee-Davis High". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  16. Small, Alonzo (October 14, 2020). "Hanover school board officially approves new names for Lee-Davis High, Stonewall Jackson Middle". ABC 8 News. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  17. Lee-Davis High School website Archived April 5, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  18. "SCC: Viewing School - Lee-Davis High School". Show Choir Community. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  19. "SCC: Hanover/Lee-Davis Festival of Choirs 2019". Show Choir Community. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  20. John O'connor (June 8, 2019). "New Jets GM Joe Douglas (Lee-Davis High, UR) long ago had mind set on NFL front office position". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
  21. Former Richmonder and composer for 'Star Wars: Battlefront II' described as 'heir apparent to John Williams' Richmond Times-Dispatch, August 3, 2018.
  22. "McDougle for Virginia » Meet Ryan". ryanmcdougle.com. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
  23. Joan Tupponce, "Jason Mraz," Richmond Magazine, March 24, 2010.
  24. Spiders to name HU graduate Scott as football coach. Daily Press. Retrieved on December 15, 2009.
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