A spirited debate over school names and legacies prompted the Richmond School Board to hit pause Monday night, choosing instead to let the community weigh in on whether Armstrong High School should become Armstrong-Kennedy High School.

Board members made the choice after a nearly 30-minute discussion on the idea, and passionate arguments by Richmond Public School alumni and staff about the change, during their Monday meeting.

“We have some that are for, some that are against,” Board Chair Shavonda Fernandez said. “I think the only way to really, truly go about this the appropriate way is to engage the community, to get a clear path forward.”

The renaming was proposed by alumni of John F. Kennedy High School, which was merged in 1979 with Armstrong to create the Armstrong-Kennedy High School complex. The school featured a combined student body, a new mascot and new school colors until they separated in 1986.

The schools merged again in 2004 after years of declining enrollment and deteriorating building conditions at Armstrong. School board members voted to keep the Armstrong name, its original colors, and the Wildcat mascot. Elements honoring John F. Kennedy High School remain inside and outside the building today.

The John F. Kennedy High School Alumni & Friends Scholarship Committee, which has helped lead the effort, has proposed restoring the combined school’s name, colors and mascot. This isn’t the first time the group has made the request this year, and a similar proposal was suggested by alumni in 2019.

“To compare Kennedy’s history to Armstrong’s history would be like comparing David to Goliath,” Dennis Mallory, chairman of the committee, said during the meeting. “However, we are not trying to slay the giant. We are just trying to coexist with it.”

The renaming could cost between $75,000 and $100,000, according to RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras.

Advocates say renaming the school would encourage broader support from alumni of all three schools, including increased donations to the scholarship fund. The Scholarship Committee has also offered to help cover the cost of the transition.

The importance of history was central to both sides during public comments, as advocates and opponents each emphasized preserving their schools and protecting their legacies.

“We’ve done enough erasure of the history of the Black community in the city of Richmond,” Robin Dickerson, an Armstrong teacher, said. “The community would like for Armstrong to exist in the community as Armstrong High School, no name change.”

 Supporters of Armstrong High School listen during a discussion about whether to change the school’s name.
 Photo by Victoria A. Ifatusin/The Richmonder  

RPS officials said community engagement plans are still in the early stages but cited the renaming of George Wythe High School to Richmond High School for the Arts as an example of their previous approach.

The school board is expected to revisit the renaming proposal in the fall to allow time for input from students.